Reid's Conundrum
by Coopereid
Summary: Reid always knew that he was different - he just never knew HOW different he could be. With a baby on the way, Reid tries to juggle work and taking care of himself. Will he succeed? Contains MPREG - don't like, don't read. Strong JJ and Reid friendship. Please R&R.
1. Discovery

This story is my escape from a three and a half year writing rut, so I hope I don't disappoint.

I don't own Criminal Minds, or anything involved with the show - I'm just a diehard fan who has been marathoning the show non-stop for the past week.

* * *

Having just finished a particularly difficult case, Reid couldn't wait to get back to his apartment and go to bed. Not only had he pulled two all-nighters in a row (with the help of his trusty sidekick coffee), but once again, he had to watch a teenager die, suicide by cop. Though, in this case, it was suicide by doctor/agent.

After finally arriving home, he locked his door, double-checking that it was actually secure, kicked off his shoes and carefully set them beside the front door, went straight to his bedroom, and laid down. Not long after he shut his eyes, he fell right to sleep, feeling as peaceful as ever. This bliss, however, was extremely temporary. A few minutes later, he woke with a start, sick to his stomach, but he couldn't imagine why. From what he remembered, it was a very dreamless sleep, and he hadn't eaten anything out of the ordinary that day. The genius didn't have long to contemplate the thought, as he ran directly for the bathroom, knelt in front of the toilet, and no sooner emptied the contents of his stomach. Once he'd finished he sighed, flushing and balancing on the pads of his feet.

His mind was going faster than its' usual mile a minute, thinking of all the possible situations that could occur. If he called out of work sick tomorrow, Morgan would surely show up at his place on his lunch break to check up on him. If he went to the doctor first and was late to work as a result, JJ would question him, calling him 'Spence' and giving him that look she always gives him when she's worried. On top of that, Garcia would more likely than not hack into the doctor's computer system to find out the diagnosis. If he went to work sick, he'd need to constantly excuse himself to use the facilities, causing Hotch to get concerned and check on him, or worse, send him home early.

Sighing, he shook his head, trying to get rid of all the thoughts - he was being ridiculous. If anything, it was due to stress and a serious lack of sleep. Getting up, he made his way to the sink, washing himself up and brushing his teeth. He soon made his way back to bed, crawling under the sheets and uneasily falling back to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed, and easily 100% better than he had the night before. Checking the clock, he noted that he had enough time to take a quick shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, stop for a coffee, and get to the office fifteen minutes early. Needless to say, this was perfect for him, as he could get a head start on his paperwork, as well as weed out any paperwork that may have somehow slipped into his pile.

He walked into the BAU that morning with an uncharacteristic smile on his face. He set down his satchel and made his way over to the coffee machine for a refill.

"Hey, Boy Wonder, aren't we cheerful this morning?" Garcia noted, ruffling his hair.

He smiled, picking up the coffee pot. "Thanks, Garcia. And Boy Wonder is...?" he asked as he filled his cup.

"You, of course, who else?" He shrugged. "Exactly! Now, if you'll excuse me, I know JJ is keeping pictures of our godbaby from me, and I'll be damned if that's going to last." she finished, taking off.

Reid walked back to his desk, setting down his cup and sorting through the folders. There seemed to be a pattern: every third one was a file he hadn't seen before - he knew Morgan had to be behind this. He pulled out the files, stacked them, and put them in chronological order. He grabbed a Post-It off of his desk, wrote 'Nice Try', put it on top of the folders, and set them in the middle of Morgan's desk. Satisfied with himself, he got to work.

When Morgan finally came in that morning, Reid stopped what he was doing and waited for his reaction. Walking over to his desk, he nodded toward Reid.

"Mornin', Pretty Boy," he said, setting his phone on the desk and pulling off his jacket. Reid held up his hand with a slight wave as Morgan looked down on his desk. "...What's this?"

"Next time you're going to slip your paperwork on my desk, don't make it completely obvious. At least put it out of a pattern, stack them the same, and put them in order of importance to match the rest."

Morgan shook his head, defeated.

"Come on, Derek, did you really think you'd get something past him?" Emily spoke, not looking up from her own work. She quickly glanced up. "Damn, Reid, rough night?"

"Hm?" Reid asked, raising an eyebrow. He'd thought he looked fine.

"You heard me."

"I slept fine, why?"

"Where do I start? There's bags under your eyes that make you look miserable, your hair is worse than its usual mess, your sweater vest is slightly askew, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say your socks actually match today."

He quickly went through the checklist in his head, analyzing himself. He felt his face and sure enough, puffy eyes. There's really no surprise there. His hand went up to his head - messy from when Garcia had ruffled it this morning (he disliked when she did that, but didn't have the heart or nerve to tell her otherwise). He quickly straightened his sweater vest and checked his socks: for the first time in as long as he could possibly remember, they actually matched each other, both purple with blue stripes. He grabbed his bag and dug through; hoping he'd left a sock in there.

"Oh, Em, leave the kid alone - we're all allowed a rough morning once in a while. At least he was in his usual early time."

Reid nodded to himself, knowing he'd made the right choice based on his late night analysis. After slipping on a sock he found after rummaging, he poured his sugar packets into his coffee, stirred, and took a sip.

"Good as new?" Emily asked with a smile. He nodded, getting back to his paperwork. Maybe his late night was, in fact, a fluke he simply needed to sleep off.

He made it through the morning without any "interruptions" and was so far so good. He didn't feel anything until Morgan asked if he wanted to join the team for lunch. He quickly thought of his stomach, slightly nauseous.

"You know what? I've got a lot of paperwork to get through-"

"Pretty Boy, what are you talking about? Your pile's almost gone."

"Well, yeah, but I need to double-check... for mistakes?" He knew he blew it right then and there, wincing to himself.

"Mistakes, you? I'm getting you out of here; the office is making you delirious." Morgan wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder, barely giving him enough time to grab his coat and bag before he led him out the door.

Reid tried not to make how miserable he felt show - he was, after all, at lunch with a group of profilers. The slightest wrong move would surely alert somebody. He knew he couldn't excuse himself to the rest room if he felt sick, because someone would definitely notice, tell Hotch, and get him sent home for the afternoon. The nausea seemed to subside and the usual fact-blurting Reid was present - until the food came. As the waitress reached over him to set the plates down, all the smells hit him. He drew a quick deep breath, closed his eyes, and sighed.

JJ nudged him, whispering softly. "Hey, Spence, you okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah, just the smells getting to me. No big deal." He sat upright, looking at Rossi's plate. "Hey, did you know that -" he started, covering up how he felt.

"Something happened to someone interesting while they were eating exactly what Rossi ordered?" Morgan finished.

Reid sat back with a smirk. "Nevermind," he said, cutting into his burger. JJ looked at him, concerned, but shrugged it off. Of something were in fact wrong, he'd definitely tell her - he was like her little brother, after all.

After choking down his burger, he excused himself from the table, saying he needed to make a quick trip to the bookstore with what was left of his lunch break. He knew nobody would question him on that, nor would they want to accompany him. He picked up his satchel, left his money on the table, and left the restaurant.

"Is something wrong with Reid?" Hotch asked, looking around at the other agents. They all collectively shrugged.

"That case seemed to really get him," Rossi spoke up, "the kid probably just needs to get his head on straight."

* * *

Reid made it back to the BAU in the nick of time. The nausea hit again right as he arrived at his desk. He quickly set down his belongings, rushed to the bathroom, and emptied the burger from his stomach. The lunch tasted great going down, but horrible coming back up.

Garcia walked by the bathrooms, wrinkling her nose. She looked around, trying to figure out who was in there. She finally spotted Reid's satchel and mug at his desk. She quietly knocked on the men's room door.

"Hey, genius, are you okay in there?" she asked softly.

Spencer sat up, panicking. She knew he was in there, getting sick.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied, sitting up and hoping the dizziness and nausea would just go away.

"Don't you lie to me, Spencer Reid! I can hear you."

He bit his lip, thinking up a lie quickly.

"My lunch didn't agree with me, that's all. Listen, don't tell Hotch, okay?"

"Oh, you poor thing," she started, "you get yourself cleaned up, I'm going to leave some stuff at your desk. Don't worry, I won't tell Hotch, just be careful!" she said, rushing off.

He pushed himself up, flushed the toilet, and walked over to the sink. Glancing up at his reflection, he sighed. Prentiss had been right - he looked horrible. He washed his face and hands, did his best to look presentable, and walked out to his desk. He silently thanked Garcia for coming through, noticing the saltines, water bottle, and Alka Seltzer on his desk, as well as a small teddy bear holding a 'get well soon' sign. He'd have to thank her later. He put the teddy bear into his bag, downed the Alka Seltzer, and sat down, opening another file.

"Hey, Pretty Boy, find what you were looking for?" Morgan asked, sitting across from him.

"Hm?" Reid asked, thinking for a moment. "Oh, right, the book! Uh, no, they were actually sold out." He realized he was quickly getting way too comfortable with lying.

* * *

That night, Reid got sick again, twice. In fact, he got sick five times over the next two nights. This wasn't food poisoning or stress related, as he ruled out those symptoms quickly. He thought to himself... he had headaches, but no worse than his usual headaches. His back hurt, but he figured that was just part of the job. Of course he had the nausea, but that was a new discovery. He then went through several other possibilities, crossing off appendicitis, the flu, kidney failure, a bladder infection, and meningitis. He them came to the sudden realization of what it could be: he, Spencer Reid, was in fact pregnant.

Fear quickly set in for him as he did the math. His last encounter had been over three months ago, when the team worked a hard case and went to a bar to unwind afterward. He wasn't "gay", if someone wanted to label it, he was just experimenting. He knew he couldn't tell the father of the baby about this - hell, he couldn't tell anyone about it. Not even JJ. She'd hidden a pregnancy from the team for a while; surely he could do the same. By far it wasn't his wisest decision, but for the young, panicked genius, it was currently the best possible option, until he figured out what he was going to do.

He knew his first priority was to go to a doctor, but wasn't sure how to go about it without alerting the rest of the team that something was wrong. After thoroughly thinking it through in his head, he decided that the best choice was to go to the hospital well before work - that way nobody would know, since he wouldn't be late. He grabbed his phone and after a quick phone call, had an appointment set for the next morning. Who knows? His self-diagnosis could actually be completely off and it was nothing more than a simple stomach bug. He laid back on his bed, did his best to shut down his thoughts, and dozed off.


	2. Nerves

He sat in the waiting room, legs shaking. In usual Spencer Reid fashion, he showed up far too early for his appointment. Luckily since he was there so early, there were no other patients waiting. One of the nurses had already done blood work as well as a few tests, and he was simply waiting on the doctor to arrive. He'd already read all of the magazines spread out on the table and observed all the art on the walls, which left him with nothing to do but wait. An eternity seemed to pass before the door finally opened.

"Spencer Reid? The doctor will see you now."

He nodded nervously, grabbing his bag and following the nurse to a room. As instructed, he pulled on one of the hospital gowns and laid back on the bed. Exhaling, he stared at the ceiling, quickly counting the number of bumps and grooves. Not long after falling on the number of 87, the door opened and his doctor walked in. After a quick introduction and the doctor going over a few of his test results, including a confirmation that he was pregnant, Spencer didn't hesitate to speak up.

"My last physical interaction was three months ago, well, 97 days to be exact. My mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when I was young and I had her institutionalized when I was 18. I haven't had any of the symptoms of it yet, though I still have a few years left before the symptoms will make themselves known. I can't tell you of any health issues on my father's side of the family, or the other father of the child, but I can say I'm almost positive there's nothing too serious. I do have a history of drug use, but I've been clean for a few years now and don't plan to go back. I don't smoke, I've only ever had a drink every so often, and I'm not on any harmful medications. I only found out about the fetus yesterday and-"

"Breathe, Mr. Reid."

"Actually, it's Doctor."

His doctor gave him a quick smile, writing down notes and handing him a list. "Those are some of the vitamins you should be taking, as well as a few things you should put into your diet, as well as a few things you should cut. Male pregnancies can be high risk if it's not taken seriously, but as long as you follow my orders, you should be fine."

He gave a weak smile and nodded, scanning the list. It killed him inside that he'd have to only have one cup of coffee a day, then switch to decaf. It was definitely going to take a lot of getting used to.

"Now, I need you to open the front of your gown?"

His head snapped up. "What? Why?"

"I'd like to get your first ultrasound done – be sure that your child is developing correctly."

He bit his lip and nodded, lying back on the bed and opening the gown. Within a few minutes, the soft thump of a heartbeat filled the room. Tears quickly threatened to fall, but he blinked them away.

"If you'd look at the screen, you can see the baby, Dr. Reid."

He wiped his eyes, took a deep breath, and glanced over at the screen. This time, he couldn't keep himself from crying. He traced the outline with his finger and smiled. "Hey there, little one…"

His doctor froze the image and printed it out, handing it to him. "As soon as you're ready, you can head out – just be sure to make your next appointment on the way." She cleaned off his stomach, put away the machine, and walked out.

Spencer's mind went into overdrive: he had to pick up these vitamins, go grocery shopping for approved foods, grab as many pregnancy books as he could find that could also apply to males, and find a way to do all this without the team getting suspicious. Sighing, he rushed to get dressed and head out, making sure to schedule his next appointment before leaving. A quick glance at his watch told him that if he headed to work right now, he'd be able to get there early without setting anybody off. He tucked the sonogram into his satchel, between the pages of the book he was reading, and rushed to the subway.

* * *

Walking into the office, he nearly sprinted to the break room to grab a cup of coffee. He poured in his sugar and walked over to his desk, sipping his coffee and setting his bag on the floor beside him. Hearing his phone go off, he checked his new text message.

_Feeling any better today, 187? Need me to bring in anything for you? – PG_

He bit his lip, feeling guilty. Keeping this from the team was going to be a lot harder than he originally thought. Thinking quickly, he responded.

_I'm feeling a lot better today, thanks for your help, I really appreciate it. If you're on your way in, I wouldn't mind a donut from that shop you pass in the morning._

His phone went off a minute later.

_Sure thing, Boy Wonder. See you in a few._

Internally, he groaned, quietly hating himself. Penelope had always been nothing but supportive and caring for him, and he knew how much she loved fussing over pregnancies and babies. Keeping this from her would absolutely break her heart, but letting her know would alert the team, and he'd be stuck at the police stations on all of their cases while everyone else was out there, catching the unsubs. The fact that he had to hide it from JJ too was eating him up inside. She trusted him to be the godfather of her son, should anything happen to her and Will. How could he betray her by keeping something so important a secret? He soon regretted this over-thinking, as he was giving himself a migraine. He rubbed his temples and willed it to go away.

"Reid? Reid, are you okay?"

He snapped his head up and looked at Emily. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… thinking."

She eyed him carefully. "Are you sure? It seemed like you were having one of your headaches. Do you need me to get you anything?"

He shook his head. "No thanks, I'm fine. Usually it just goes away on its own."

"You sure?"

"I DON'T want to take any medications," he snapped.

"Well, if you need anything, just let me know," she said, sitting at her own desk and setting her coffee down. She knew she'd have to keep a close eye on him today, and if the odd behavior kept up, she'd have to tell somebody.

Garcia made her way over to Reid's desk, setting down a small yellow bag. "One apple cider donut for my favorite boy genius."

He looked up at her with a smile. "Thanks, Garcia. How much do I owe you?"

"This one's on me, 187," she said with a wink before heading to her office.

"What, nothing for me, Baby Girl?" Morgan spoke up.

"What I have for you can't be given out here," she said with a wink. She picked up her purse and went to her lair.

"What was that about?" Morgan asked, looking over at Reid and eyeing his bag.

Reid quickly shrugged and opened the bag. "Generosity, I guess."

"Round table in 10," JJ said, walking past their desks and heading to her office.

Prentiss sighed. "I knew it was too good to last. At least one of us was able to catch up," she said, pointing to Reid.

Reid smirked, picking up his bag and coffee, heading to the conference room.

* * *

They all sat around waiting for Hotch to come in with the case file. They watched as Spencer had practically inhaled his donut and his morning cup of coffee.

"Hungry? There may still be some crumbs in the bag," Rossi stated.

Reid shook his head, setting down his cup and wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Hotch walked in, setting the folders down, and Garcia was quick to pick up the remote and start briefing them. "Okay! We've got 4 kidnappings and 2 women already found dead," she flashed the images on the screen, "they were found in alleys, approximately 60 hours after they were abducted, meaning that our two latest missing ladies have about 48 hours left before they turn up as well."

Prentiss looked at the screen. "So they were shot… and _then_ stabbed?"

Garcia nodded. "Bingo."

After a few minutes of analyzing the case, Hotch closed his folder and looked around at the group. "Wheels up in 20."

Once Hotch left the room, Reid was the last to push back his chair and get up. He was quickly hit with a dizzy spell, tripping over his feet. Luckily, Morgan was still there to catch him.

"Whoa, you okay there, Pretty Boy?" he said, sitting him back down.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just stood up too fast. Lack of sleep last night combined with too much too fast," he lied, exhaling, "really, Morgan, I'm fine. It's nothing."

"It wasn't one of your headaches?" he asked, watching the young doctor with a worried look.

"What? No, it's nothing. Just a head rush, they happen to everyone."

Morgan looked at him cautiously, then sighed. "Fine, kid. Just get some rest on the flight. Deal?"

Reid nodded. "No problem. Are we done? I'm going to need a ride to the airstrip," he stated, picking up his bag and putting it over his shoulder.

* * *

As soon as they were on the plane, in the air, and had finished their briefing, Reid lay back on the couch, putting his jacket over him as a blanket. When she was sure the coast was clear, JJ sat at his feet.

"Hey, are you feelin' alright?" she asked softly, pushing his hair back.

He froze. He wasn't used to this kind of attention. He'd never received it from his mother as a child – he was more the giver than the recipient. He opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"I'm fine, why?" he responded, sitting up and looking at his lap.

"Look at me, Spence," she said, practically ordering him. He sighed, looking up at her, "if something were wrong, you'd tell me, right?"

Internally, he completely froze, his heart feeling like it was going to shatter. Luckily on the outside, it didn't show. "Of course, Jayje, you know I can't keep anything from you."

She leaned over, kissing his forehead softly. "If you need anything, let me know. Even if you can't talk to the team, I'm here for you. Will and Henry too."

He gave one of his signature weak smiles and nodded. "I'm actually going to make myself a cup of tea. Want one?"

"Tea? Not coffee? Who are you and what have you done with my Spence?"

"Well, I was reading that some studies show coffee can lead to hypertension and heart disease. On the other hand, tea has a wide range of health benefits, and rarely needs the additives, like the five packets of sugar I usually need for my coffee. Want a cup?"

She smiled. "There's my Spence. Sure thing."

He made his way to the kitchenette and put on a kettle to boil. Not long after, he poured the hot water in with the tea bags, walking back and handing one to JJ.

She pushed his hair back. "I mean it, Spence. I'm here for you."

He nodded. "Thanks, Jayje. Now drink up before it gets cold."

This was going to be a lot harder than he thought.


	3. On The Case

Once they landed, Hotch sent JJ to the police station with Reid to start mapping out the locations, while the rest of the team split up between the two dump sites. Spencer breathed a quick sigh of relief and got in the car with JJ, buckling himself in.

"What was that?" JJ asked, starting the car.

"What was what?"

"You of all people didn't want to check out a dumpsite for clues? The great Spencer Reid was actually _relieved_ to come to the station with me?"

"What? I've spent enough time in the field. And we're a good team."

She rolled her eyes, smiling. "Whatever you say, Spence."

* * *

After arriving at the station, Reid mapped out the locations, his eyebrows furrowed deep in thought. When he had enough information about the crime scenes, he studied the maps. He observed the distance between the dump sites and the distance from the abduction sites to the dump sites.

"It's a pattern…" he spoke softly.

"Hm?" JJ said, looking up from her map.

He uncapped a marker from the table and pointed to the map. "The distance from each abduction site to each dump site is six blocks EXACTLY. The first body was dumped here," he pointed to the first arrow, "at 6 p.m. yesterday, and the second body was dumped here," he pointed to the second, "at 6 a.m. today. So if we use this, if we don't get him in time, the next two will be dumped…" he made two x's on the map, "here, and here. The first will be at 6 tonight and the next at 6 tomorrow morning."

"You said 'him', what makes you think this unsub's a man?"

"Well characteristically, women don't like messy deaths. Instead, they prefer cleaner versions, i.e. slipping the victims pills or poisoning. This unsub is not only shooting and leaving blood spatter, but afterward, is stabbing them. Not to mention that if you look back on some of our cases? Stabbings are a replacement for sexual acts the unsub can't perform himself."

"So all these 6's… any chance it's satanic or ritualistic killings?"

He shook his head. "Not a chance. The injuries each time are in much different places. If it were ritualistic, they'd be more precise. Ritualistic and satanic are out of the question, but Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is entirely possible."

She nodded. "Anything on description that we can put together for a profile?"

"I'll get back to you on that," he said, pulling over the TV and playing security footage from a building across the street from the latest dump site. If he was lucky, he'd be able to get a slight glimpse of the unsub – enough for Garcia to work her magic and get them an image to work with.

* * *

JJ glanced down at her phone and answered. "Hey, Morgan. Find anything?"

"Not yet, listen, can I talk to you for a sec? _Alone_?"

She looked over at Reid, who was too focused on the tape to notice if she were to leave. "No problem," she said, walking into an empty office and closing the door, "what's up?"

"Is something up with Reid?"

She peeked through the blinds at him. "I'm not sure, why?"

"I told him I wouldn't tell but," Morgan sighed, "earlier, before we got to the airstrip, he nearly passed out in the conference room. I talked to Prentiss on the way to the first scene and she said he was acting different this morning, and was really quick to snap at her. Do you think maybe-"

"Don't you **dare** finish that sentence, Derek."

"Come on, JJ, the symptoms are there. He's using again. He practically relapsed last time when he had to shoot a kid. He did it again last week."

"No, Morgan. You know he wouldn't do that. He's clean. He has been for a while and he wouldn't go back there – it was dark and scary and he wouldn't bring those memories back."

"Then you explain it to me. He's dizzy, he's nauseous, he's sweating, he's irritable –"

"It could be something else."

"Like?"

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat and keep back the tears in her eyes. "I don't know. After the scare a couple years ago, the doctors said he could be, you know, different."

"But showing up this much later? You know that's not the case, Jayje."

She bit her lip, exhaling. She wiped her eyes quickly and put on a straight face. "Fine. I'll try to go through his satchel later. You're rooming with him – check his arms and his go bag." Inside, she hated herself. She loved Spence like a little brother and didn't want to invade his privacy, but she also didn't want him to get any worse if he was, in fact, back on the drug.

When she was off the phone with Derek, she waited for Spencer to go to the bathroom before digging through his bag. She knew she had to make it quick. She shifted past the books he brought on the trip, paying no attention to any of the titles. She emptied them out, and checked the bottom of the bag, as well as the zippers. She let out a deep sigh of relief when she saw nothing, and quickly stashed everything back in before he came back.

After several hours of getting nowhere, Hotch decided the team needed to call it a night. They all made it to their respective hotel rooms after dinner and went to bed. Once he was sure Reid had fallen asleep, Morgan turned on the light on the nightstand, and made his way over to where Reid had set down his go-bag. Once he finished a thorough search of his belongings, he came to two conclusions: 1) the boy had far too many odd-patterned socks, and 2) there was no Dilaudid in his bag. Relieved, he made his way over to Reid's bed. Luckily, one of his arms was poking out of the sheet. He slowly rolled up his sleeve and checked his arm. Right in the crook of his elbow was a small needle mark, from his blood work earlier in the day. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. "What are you doing to yourself, Pretty Boy?" he whispered to himself, going back to his bed, grabbing his room key, and walking to JJ's room.

* * *

JJ checked her alarm clock on the nightstand and groaned. Who could possibly be interrupting her at midnight? Rubbing her eyes, she made her way over to the door, peeking through the peephole. Seeing that it was Morgan, she opened the door.

"This couldn't wait?" she practically whined, wrinkling her face at the bright lights in the hallway.

"Can I come in?"

She sighed, holding the door open. "This had better be important, or I'm telling Will you were in my room at night," she joked. Seeing there was no reaction on Morgan's face, she internally panicked, "What's wrong?"

Morgan walked in and closed the door, locking it. "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"

"Derek. Tell me."

"There weren't any vials in his satchel, right?" she nodded. "Well, there was nothing in his go-bag either."

"Then, that's good… isn't it?"

"I wish. I checked his arm, and, right inside his elbow… JJ, he's definitely using again."

She bit her lip, shaking. "You're sure?"

"I know what I saw. There's a needle mark, right in his elbow. He hasn't gone to a doctor recently, he tells us every time. What else could it be?"

She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "We'll confront him tomorrow, but… we won't involve anyone else. He'll panic if he feels like the whole team is against us. Meet me in here in the morning, and I'll have him come over. We'll talk to him, figure this out."

"Jayje, if he's using again…"

"We'll figure it out if that's the case."


	4. Accusations

Reid woke up the next morning, feeling refreshed. Once he saw that Derek had already left for breakfast, he rubbed his stomach, smiling. Reaching over, he checked his phone and saw a text message from JJ.

_Meet me in my room in 20?_

He raised his eyebrow, replying.

_Um, sure? Should I bring anything?_

_Just yourself. See you then._

He shrugged it off and after a quick shower, got dressed. When he was finished, he made his way to JJ's room and knocked.

JJ looked across the room at Morgan. "Are you sure about this?"

He sighed. "Only way we can get it out of him without telling the rest of the team. Then he'd really freak out and we both know that's the last thing any of us want."

She chewed on her lip and nodded, walking over to the door. "Who is it?"

"Uh, it's me… did you invite anyone else?"

She smiled slightly and opened the door. "Come on in, Spence."

He walked in and saw one of the chairs pulled out to the middle of the room. "So… what's this about?"

"Have a seat."

He quietly sat down and repeated himself. "So, what's this about?"

"We're doing this because we love you," JJ started, playing with her hands nervously. Spencer observed that she only did that when she had to say something she really didn't want to.

"Okay…" Spencer said, curious as to where this was leading.

"We know, Spence."

His world froze. "You know? Wait, you know what?"

Morgan looked at him, leaning against the dresser. "JJ and I found out last night."

"Found _what_ out?"

"You know what we're talking about."

_Shit. Shit, son of a bitch, SHIT. _

"I do?"

"Kid, we're not stupid. We saw the signs. You were dizzy, irritable, nauseous,"

"L-listen, Morgan, I can explain-"

"Why did you think you could hide this from us? We're profilers, kid, we can find anything out."

He chewed on his lip. "Like I said, I can explain."

"You're using again, aren't you?"

He breathed a deep sigh of relief. "That's it?"

"That's _it?_ Spence, this isn't something to be relaxed about. This is really serious."

"WHAT is?"

"I didn't find anything in your go-bag and JJ didn't find anything in your satchel-"

"YOU WENT THROUGH MY BAG?!" he snapped, panicking. He thought of the sonogram photo tucked between the pages of the book he was reading, which just so happened to be about male pregnancies.

"I didn't find anything, I swear. And we thought the coast was clear, but then… Derek saw your arm."

Spencer looked down at his arm, then back at them. "You've lost me."

"Reid, we don't want to involve anyone else, we just want you to come clean."

"Come clean about _what_?!"he groaned.

"That you're using Dilaudid again," JJ finally said.

"WHAT?!" he jumped out of his seat. "Do you really think I'm that stupid, to do that to myself again? You _really_ think I'd put myself in that much danger, put myself back on that… that _drug_? How could you think like that, Jayje. I thought you trusted me!"

"I found the needle mark on your inner-elbow…" Derek started.

"What, this?!" he pointed to the small faded mark on his arm. "It's nothing! I was feeling sick, I went to the doctor, and they took some blood. In case you forgot, here's a refresher course. I injected the Dilaudid here," he pointed to a small scar on his bicep, "inside the elbow would've been a stupid decision. Now, tell me how I would've injected myself with drugs _without_ having the drugs, Derek!"

"Spence, calm down."

"Calm down? I'm sorry, JJ, were you just accused of being an addict? I don't think so."

"There's no need to snap at her, Reid, this was all my fault."

Spencer threw up his hands. "Know what? Forget both of you. Since you and JJ are such good friends now, the two of you can stay back at the station, playing the waiting game and I'll go out in the field with Prentiss and try to find the bastard. Last I checked, she didn't think I was on drugs." He made his way back to his hotel room and packed up his bag.

Derek looked over at JJ. "Listen I-"

"Don't," she stated, glaring at him, "we'll talk about this after the case. Out."

Sighing and knowing that arguing with her at this point was useless, he kissed the top of her head. "Calm down," he said, before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

* * *

Reid sat in the lobby, flipping through the pages of his latest find – a book that would finally explain to him everything that was happening with his body.

"Well, Reid, you were right," he heard Hotch say behind him. He quickly slammed his book shut, tucking in the sonogram picture. "the next body was, in fact, found on that street corner at 6 a.m. If we stick to your calculations, he'll be revisiting the scene by noon."

Reid smiled to himself. "Mind if I go along with Prentiss today? I'd really like the pleasantry of catching this guy."

"Your leg feeling fine?"

He nodded. "Perfect, actually."

"And you're sure you can keep up with Prentiss?"

Another nod.

"You leave in 20 to stake out the location."

In his head, Reid applauded himself, walking back to his room.

Meanwhile, in the lounge, Morgan's phone started ringing. He checked it, and then smiled, answering it. "Hey, Baby Girl."

"Oh don't you go 'Baby Girl'ing me!"

"…Excuse me?"

"What did you do to my little 187?"

Morgan rolled his eyes. "I didn't do anything."

"Oh, _really_? That explains why I got a phone call from a very pissed off genius this morning. Now, tell me, WHAT did you and JJ do, or I swear to god I will hack into your records and I will-"

"OKAY! I'll tell you, just leave my credit score alone!"

"Proceed."

"Reid was acting… different, so we sort of, approached him about it?"

"Different how? What is so different that you pissed off the brains behind the operation?"

"Well, he nearly passed out before we left for the trip, he slept most of the flight instead of spitting facts, he was snapping at Prentiss…"

"And you're not allowed your bad days?"

"Not like this. It was like he was using again."

"Derek Morgan, you did **not**."

"What else was I supposed to suspect, Garcia?! It was the same thing all over again."

"So, you just named all the symptoms of PMS, does that mean around that time of the month, you're going to be accusing your female team members of being drug addicts?"

"Ugh, did you really have to go there?!"

"Oh you just wait until you get back here; you are in SO much trouble."

The line went dead as Garcia clicked the phone off. Morgan groaned, knowing he'd be paying for that later.

* * *

Up at Spencer's room, JJ was hopelessly knocking on the door.

"Spence… Spence, I'm sorry, can you please let me in? Can we talk?"

"You know what, JJ? I think you've done enough talking for one morning."

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. Can we please just talk for a few minutes?"

"Prentiss and I are heading to the third dump site in about 10 minutes, so no time. Thanks, though," he said, tracing his finger over his ultrasound. As soon as he was sure she'd left, he looked down at his stomach, whispering softly, "you okay in there? I know that was probably pretty scary, but daddy's okay. It's just a disagreement with some coworkers. We're both going to be fine."

A few minutes later, Prentiss knocked. "Ready to go, Reid?"

He got up, put his bag over his shoulder, and walked out. "Absolutely."

"Any reason you wanted to do this and deprive Morgan of the opportunity?"

"It's just… something I need right now."

"Whatever you say," she said, holding up the keys, "let's go."

* * *

Spencer watched out the window of the SUV, sighing and checking his watch. "The unsub usually returns to the crime scene at noon time as a passerby to make it seem he's a concerned citizen. It's nearly noon and not even a single person has attempted to get near the police lines."

"Maybe he caught on? He knows that we're waiting for him and doesn't want to get caught."

"No, I doubt it. A narcissist like that? He's going to take pride in the fact that we've already investigated his crime scene – he'll want to come back and find anything we missed on our initial scan of the area."

"Hope you're right," Prentiss said, checking the clock, "he's got five more minutes to show himself or we're back to square one."

* * *

Suddenly, someone down the street caught Spencer's eye. He had a gun holster on his belt, which was covered up by his trench coat, and his hand in his pockets, more likely than not fidgeting with a switchblade. He slowly made his way over to the crime scene, a smirk across his face.

"Emily…" he started.

"I see him," she said, tightening her Kevlar vest and securing her gun, "no sudden movements. Don't let him know you're after him or there's going to be a chase, and no offense, but those skinny legs weren't made for catching unsubs."

He smiled, tightening his own vest. "No problem." He slipped out of the car and closed the door, leaning against it. He covered up his vest with his jacket and started walking toward the unsub.

"REID," Emily whispered, "WHAT are you doing?"

He put up a finger to silence her, and then stood next to him.

The unsub still had a twisted smirk on his face, looking around the crime scene tape and observing the scene. While Spencer worked whatever magic he had on him, Prentiss called Hotch.

"Hotch… Reid was right. He's here."

"Don't let him out of your sight. Bring him in so he can tell us where the last girl he abducted is."

"No problem, Reid's trying to break him now… let's hope it works."

"Give him the chance, Emily, he knows what he's doing."

"Sorry, I'm just used to Morgan. By now he'd practically have the guy in a headlock confessing. He just seems to be talking to the guy."

"You know him, he's trying to get as much information as he can out of the guy. I'm sending a car now. Do NOT let him leave."

She hung up and looked over at Reid. He currently had the unsub on the ground in handcuffs. She ran over, looking at him. "Reid, what…?"

"I already sent the address to Hotch and Rossi. They're on their way now."

Reid soon put him in the cop car that arrived, and looked at Emily. "…What?"

"I never pegged you the type to get a confession out of an unsub. What did you say? How did you do it?"

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Emily," he said with a smile, "want to stop for a tea on the way to the airstrip?"

"Tea? I'll pass. Though I'll take a coffee."

He nodded, getting back in the car and starting it. He couldn't wait to, figuratively speaking, rub Morgan's nose in this.

* * *

Later on the flight, Reid curled up in his chair with a blanket and a book, a cup of tea steaming on the table beside him. JJ made her way over and sat beside him.

"So, I hear you got that unsub singlehandedly… that's pretty impressive."

"For what, a beanpole like me?"

She sighed. "Come on, Spence. I made a mistake. I'm sorry. Can't we move past this?"

He closed his book and looked at her. "It took a LOT for me to come clean to you about my problem, JJ. I came to you. I cried on your shoulder and told you I needed help. You led me to the clean group of cops that I still visit at least once a month. How could you even think for a second that I'd go back to that, knowing how hard I worked to stay clean the past few years?"

She bit her lip. "I don't know. Morgan said you were acting odd, and I guess I sort of jumped to a conclusion."

"Not your wisest decision."

"Come on, you can't stay mad at me forever. Henry needs his 'Unca Spen'."

He smiled at the thought of little Henry, attempting to say his name.

"See? I got you to smile."

He shook his head, re-opening his book. "You know I love you, Jayje. But I'm not ready to forgive yet. Not you, and especially not Morgan. You should know me better than that."

She stood up, straightening her pants. She took his hand, squeezing it softly. "Just remember, Spence. I'm here for you, no matter how mad you want to stay at me."

He squeezed back lightly, but didn't look up from his book. She admitted defeat and walked over, sitting beside Morgan, shooting him a look.

"Come on now, don't you start with me. I've already got a spot on the top of Garcia's list. I don't need one on yours too."

"Just know that the longer he stays mad at me, the more I tell Garcia, and the longer you're on her list."


	5. Back in Quantico

When they made it back to Quantico, Garcia was waiting for Reid at his desk.

"Well, if it isn't the hero that singlehandedly tackled and arrested the unsub."

He smiled slightly. "It was nothing, really. And I didn't so much tackle him as just sort of, knock him down."

"Nothing? You mapped out the locations, found them, caught on to his tricks, and found the guy all on your own without the help of me, which I will put aside for now and not act like it's a big deal, and say that is absolutely amazing."

"Thanks. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, setting his bag down.

"You're coming with me!" she said cheerfully, leading him to her office.

"Don't I get a say in this?"

"Not at all, now move it, mister."

* * *

She moved into her office, setting him down in a chair and sitting beside him.

"What's this about?"

"You know you need to let it out. Spill."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Garcia. I had a moment where I snapped, it's nothing."

"Really?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

He sighed, avoiding her eyes. "I just- I don't know why people expect the worst of me."

"Honey, you know we don't."

"I always had high expectations and I met them and it seems like, the past year working here… everyone's walking on egg shells and trying to avoid talking to me. Like I'm a time bomb and I'm just going to blow up. Then if I do talk to them? They're accusing me of something I didn't do or I'm not doing. I thought I had friends here, for the first time in a REALLY long time, I had friends…"

"Sweetie, you do have friends."

He swallowed hard, his voice cracking. "Last I checked, friends don't accuse friends of relapsing and becoming drug addicts."

For the first time in as long as he'd known her, Garcia was speechless. He looked down at his hands, fidgeting with his fingers.

"It's bad enough that Morgan thought it, but the fact that JJ seemed to go along with it? I've opened up to her more than anyone around here. I thought she'd be the one person who understood and would know that I'd never go back there."

She lifted his chin with her finger, looking at him. "Don't you dare worry about Derek Morgan, I'll be having a talk with him later." This caused him to smile. "As for JJ, she's just a protective big sister. She only wants you to be happy and healthy and stay safe. You know she'd never intentionally hurt you. For god's sake, you're her child's godfather. If that doesn't show how much she believes in you, I don't know what does. Now come here," she said, leaning back and holding out her arms. He looked at her with a puzzled look on his face. "I won't bite, come on," she waved her hands toward her. Finally he understood, leaning in and wrapping his arms around her.

"Thanks, Garcia, I really needed this."

She smiled, ruffling his hair. "Any time, 187. My door's always open for you."

"Always?"

"Always," she repeated, "just don't go spreading that around, then everyone will want a piece of me."

"Hey, Garcia, can I ask you something?"

"You just did… but go ahead."

"I was just wondering if I could get a ride home tonight. We could stop for dinner on the way home, maybe see a movie… just get away from the whole 'murderers and serial killers' scene for a while, and I don't know maybe even-"

"Reid?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd love to. Stop rambling."

He smiled and gave a quick "thanks" before walking back to his desk and picking up his bag.

* * *

"Reid, can we talk for a moment?"

He looked up to see Morgan waiting for him.

"You know, I'd really rather not," he said, wrapping the bag around his shoulder.

"Why are you getting so defensive? I just wanted to talk. You're awful irritable lately."

"I'm sorry, I thought when we started this job, we had made a pact not to profile each other. Unless that magically goes out the window when one's accused of being a crazed drug addict."

Morgan opened his mouth to respond.

"Know what? Save it. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Garcia and I have plans and unlike some people I work with, I can respect my friendships," he looked over at Garcia, who was waiting, "ready to go?"

"You know it, prodigy. I'm feeling Indian food, how about you?"

"Sounds great, I know the perfect place," he said, walking out with her.


	6. Indiana

A month and a half had passed since his altercation with Morgan and JJ. He had eventually grown tired of giving JJ the silent treatment and given in to her pleading to talk to him again. He still hasn't fully forgiven Morgan for assuming it in the first place, but he did his best not to let it affect them working together on the team. At his four month appointment, he learned that he chose the right vitamins and he and the baby were in perfect health. He'd already read all of the books he could possibly find on pregnancies and was glad he got them all in without anyone finding out. He was now approaching month number 5 of the pregnancy and was starting to really worry about telling the team. He still hadn't started showing, but he knew when it eventually did start, it would be completely obvious. Knowing that the knowledge would lead to his immediate grounding to the offices and police stations, he decided to keep his mouth shut, but be a lot more careful on the job.

Reid was at his desk, looking through some folders, when Prentiss came over with a takeout menu, handing it to him.

"Want anything?"

He quickly flipped through, looking at the menu and trying to figure out exactly what the baby was craving. Finally, he landed on a cheeseburger with onion rings and pickles. He'd have to wait for the ice cream he was craving until he was on his way home.

"Nice to see you finally gaining weight, Reid. It means that you may actually be human," she said with a smile, writing down his order and walking over to Morgan. He frowned, looking down at his stomach. Some of his pants had started getting tighter, but he didn't think it was that noticeable, especially since he'd started wearing bigger sweater vests. Sighing, he pulled his vest further over his stomach, looking back at his folder.

Garcia walked up to his desk some time later. "What smells so good?"

"What's left of my lunch – cheeseburger topped with onion rings."

"Yum! You've had some good taste lately, boy genius."

"…Thank you?"

"Well, anyway. Round table in 5, 187, and might I say that sweater vest looks fantastic on you."

He smiled. "Thanks, Garcia."

She set a cup in front of him. "And, as requested, one green tea with two, and only two, sugar packets."

He picked it up, grabbed his satchel, and made his way to the conference room, sitting down in his usual seat.

* * *

"There have been two spree shootings over a week in a small town in Indiana – the first at a convenience store, and the second at a pharmacy. The unsub has been able to keep his identity hidden each time by cutting camera lines and wearing a ski mask. The only description we have is he's a six foot two male between the ages of 25 and 40. There's only one survivor per shooting, both are currently hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, and both have the same description: brunette women in their mid-20's."

"Coincidence?" Morgan spoke up.

Reid shook his head. "He did it on purpose, so he'd have someone fully able to tell his story each time. And that description has got to fit someone in the unsub's life that meant something to them."

"So, an ex-girlfriend, or maybe a relative?"

"Probably."

"When we arrive," Hotch started, "I want Reid and Morgan to check out the first scene. Rossi and Prentiss, you take the second. JJ, we'll go to the police station and I'll talk to the sheriff while you start working on the geographic location and profile."

Reid sighed, nodding and sipping his tea.

"Wheels up in 20."

Reid packed up the folder into his bag and looked up at Garcia. "Morgan? Really?"

"You two work well together. And we all know Hotch doesn't keep up on what goes on in everyone's lives – he barely pays attention to anything of his own that doesn't involve Jack."

"Will I still have my resident therapist at the ready?"

"Speed dial 2 on your phone, prodigy."

"You're the best," he said, tucking his phone in his pocket and walking out.

* * *

On the flight, he sat beside JJ. They still weren't completely fixed from the "incident", but they were at least trying to get back to where they started. JJ was telling him about Henry's latest habit.

"Yep, he grabs the nearest book, puts on mismatched socks, and calls himself 'Spen'. Now, I wonder where he picked that up," she said, eyeing him.

He smiled. "Haven't a clue."

"Not to mention he won't go to sleep at night without Will or me reading him a story. Absolutely refuses to go to bed without it."

"Could be worse… there are other people out there he could be taking after."

"That's true."

"I mean, if you want, one night I can watch him and you and Will can go out and have dinner or something. Give you guys a little bit of a break."

"…Are you serious?"

"Yeah, why not? He's fine when he's with me, I can't imagine that a few hours would be too bad. I've been reading up on childcare lately and it'd be kind of fun."

She smiled, hugging him. "You're the greatest, Spence!"

Inside, he was proud of himself. He wanted to be able to get some practice in with taking care of kids after all of that reading, and thought this was the perfect opportunity.

* * *

When they landed in Indiana, he got into an SUV with Morgan and went to the first crime scene.

"Sure your weak stomach can handle this, Pretty Boy? Last crime scene you nearly turned green."

"I'll be fine," he snapped, "you should know that."

"Are you ever going to get over it?"

"Get over it? Get over the fact that two people I really care about thought that I would do something as stupid as going back on drugs? I don't dig into your dark past, Derek. Stay out of mine."

"I've apologized at least 20 times already. When are you going to stop being upset?"

"You've only apologized 12, and I'll let you know when that happens."

After arriving on the scene, Reid pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and walked inside, not waiting for Morgan. He flashed his credentials to the police officer waiting.

"So all the security footage was stolen?" Morgan asked.

"Not stolen. He just shot out the cameras and cut the lines before we had an opportunity to really get a good look at him."

Spencer looked around. "One behind the counter and two off to the sides… he'd have had to come here before and explore the shop first to know that, or be extremely familiar with it. There's no possible way you can walk into a store for the first time and accurately hit all three cameras without a single missed shot around them."

Morgan checked the register. "Only took the smaller bills. The 20s and 50s are still in here," he looked at the officer, "was there anything else stolen from what you've seen?"

He shook his head. "Nothing's been reported here or at the other site. There were 12 dead at this scene, 10 at the other. And so far, no evidence to tell us anything about this guy's description."

"Is there any way we can get the security footage for the few days before the shooting? Say… the last week of it?"

"On its way to the station as we speak."

Reid nodded, taking in his surroundings. "He started in the back of the store… made his way up the aisle, killed the employee last, but had to have shot the living witness shortly after, considering the clerk hit the button under the counter," he checked his folder, "at 11:15, and cops arrived on the scene at 11:25." He looked over at Morgan. "Is someone going to talk to her?"

"JJ's on her way over now."

He nodded, taking out his phone and calling Garcia.

"Resident Therapist, at your service. How can I help you?"

He smiled. "I actually need you to look up something for me."

"No problem. Shoot."

"Anyone in the area who has been fired from a high-paying job in the last two months, cross-checked with recent divorcees."

"Any particular reason?"

"Well, a guy who shoots up two stores in a week obviously feels as if he has nothing left to live for."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, actually. The second location was a pharmacy. Look for anyone who was recently taken off an anti-psychotic. And if he fits into those other two categories, you owe me dinner."

"Getting a little lippy, are we, Doctor? Searching now, will get back to you as soon as I find something."

She clicked off the phone and he quickly hung up. "Garcia's going to get back to me if she finds anything fitting that profile."

"It's a shot in the dark, kid."

"Unless you have a better idea, it's all we've got."

* * *

When they all met back at the police station, Hotch was reviewing the security footage, trying to get a glimpse of anyone that even started to resemble the little they had on the unsub. He was also working off of the description Reid had come up with.

"Now, he's going to be somebody who spends too much time in the store. Maybe just lingering around, looking in every direction. Probably even a repeat customer."

Prentiss squinted, and then pointed to the screen. "There. He was on the footage for the pharmacy too: once picking up a prescription and twice just browsing for over a half hour."

Reid zoomed in on the image and called Garcia.

"What can I do you for?"

"Hey, Garcia. If I send you this image, can you clear it up and run it through your software?"

"Can you name the 27th digit of pi? Send it my way, 187."

He pressed a few buttons in his tablet and sent the image. "Done. Let me know when you've got something."

"Over and out!"

* * *

From that moment on, it seemed like a waiting game. They were still waiting for Garcia to come up with the results of Reid's earlier inquiry, as well as matching up the image. It had already been a long day and they looked out the window to see it had already gotten dark.

JJ sighed. "I hate to do this, Hotch, but I need to get back to the hotel. I promised Henry that I'd read him his story tonight over the phone."

Hotch nodded. "It's late. All of you, grab some dinner and head to the hotel. I'll let Garcia know we're calling it a night. Prentiss, you're in with JJ, Rossi, you're in with me, and Morgan, you're in with Reid."

Spencer tried his best to hide his eyeroll and groan as he packed up his bag. Morgan looked over at him.

"What are you thinking for dinner?"

He shrugged. "I'm up for anything, really."

"Want to stop for a drink, my treat?"

"A drink? God no. I haven't had a drink since after that case in Tennessee, and I have to say after that night, I'm positive that it was my last."

"What, Pretty Boy, no more singing karaoke on bars?"

"I thought you didn't remember that night."

"Rossi does. And he was kind enough to tell me about you attempting to belt out, what was it, Don't Stop Believin'?"

"Like I said. LAST time."

"Tell me, what is it you did after you climbed down from the bar?"

"That's ENOUGH, Derek."

"It's just storytelling, Pretty Boy. Now, I believe I was told that you-"

"I SAID that's enough," he snapped. "I'll meet you at the room." He threw his bag over his shoulder and walked out.

* * *

"Hey, JJ, can I get a ride?"

"…Sure, Spence. Sure you don't want to go with Morgan?"

"I'd really, really rather not. I just want to get to bed, you know?"

"No problem," she said, opening the back door, "hop on in."

He climbed in, buckling himself in, and sighed. That night, he was plagued with thoughts about everything that happened that night. He laid awake in his hotel room that night, rubbing his stomach and trying his best to put it all out of his head and get to sleep. Unfortunately, with an eidetic memory, that's the complete opposite of what happened.


	7. Injury

When he woke up the next morning, Morgan had already left to go to breakfast and make it to the station. He checked his phone and saw a text message from him that JJ would be driving him to the station later on. He smiled, sitting up in bed, stretching. Then he looked down at his stomach, gasping. He jumped out of bed and ran for the full length mirror. Where his usual, flat stomach was last night, there was now a small, rounded bump.

"Oh no… oh no no no," he grabbed one of his paternity books and flipped to a chapter, scanning the page. Sure enough, somewhere in the fourth month, a belly starts to grow. Internally he started panicking. He thought that if he had a small bump now, the team would definitely catch on, and he'd be screwed. Then he started thinking about their reactions and everyone fussing over him. He did his best to put it aside and get dressed to go get some breakfast. Luckily, after he had gotten dressed, he realized it was hardly noticeable under his clothes. Exhaling deeply, he finished getting ready and made his way to the lobby to grab some breakfast.

* * *

After making himself a waffle, topped with all the fruit available, and a cup of green tea, JJ sat beside him.

"Hungry?" she asked, setting down her own plate, which only had half a bagel.

He nodded. "Didn't eat much at dinner last night, had a lot on my mind."

"Tennessee?" he froze, setting his fork down and chewing. "…Garcia told me what he did. You guys left her on the webcam."

He sighed, swallowing. "We all make stupid decisions, right? Even the brainiac is allowed one once in a while."

She looked at him, taking his hand. "Spence, I really doubt you're capable of making a stupid decision. I believe that you make decisions thinking about their possible outcomes, no matter what happens. Now, how many people do that?"

"None, I guess…?"

"Exactly," she squeezed his hand lightly, "if you ever need to talk, I'm here, and I mean that. You don't need to hole yourself up in Garcia's office to vent. You can stop by my place or call any time."

He looked up at her. "You mean it?"

"Of course!"

He smiled slightly, taking back his hand and finishing his breakfast.

"So, Don't Stop Believin', huh?"

"…It's the only song in the machine I knew."

"Ready to go?"

He nodded, getting up and grabbing his bag.

* * *

When they all arrived at the station, Hotch got a call from Garcia.

"Garcia, you're on speaker, behave."

"If you insist. Now, I ran the image of the unsub and didn't find any clear matches. BUT I did put in all the criteria from our resident mastermind."

"What did you find?" Reid asked.

"One Thomas Hill. He's from Fort Wayne, his wife recently left him and took the kids, and not long after, he lost his job at his company. When they started doing lay-offs, he didn't make the cut."

"Any history of mental illness?"

"Diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager, no mention of him being "cured"."

"And you're sure this is the guy?" Prentiss spoke up.

"Sending the image I found now side-by-side with the image you sent me last night to your tablets."

Rossi looked down at the tablet and compared the images. "We have a winner."

"Garcia, is there a current address for him?"

"His wife kicked him out of the house after the divorce, BUT his mail is being forwarded to an address not far from it. Sending… now."

* * *

They all got into two separate SUVs and made their way to the address. With sirens blaring, they made their way through the morning traffic and arrived at the apartment in no time. They rushed to quickly secure their vests and pull out their guns as they got out of the car. Hotch took the lead, with Spencer behind him, Morgan behind him, and Emily, Rossi, and JJ waiting outside. After the initial knock on the door with no answer, Morgan kicked the door down. When they entered, Spencer froze.

The unsub was there, with his gun aimed at the door. Specifically, aimed at _him_.

"Thomas Hill, put the gun **down**," Hotch ordered.

He shook his head. "I ain't got nothing left."Morgan took a step toward him and he spoke up again. "One more step and you'll be seeing this one in a body bag," he said, motioning his gun toward Spencer.

He could never recall being this terrified in his entire life. Not through his mother's episodes. Not with his father leaving. Not with being kidnapped and tortured. Nothing even came close to the paralyzing fear of this moment.

"L-listen…" he finally spoke, "I'm not here to hurt you. I know you're in pain," he started, biting his lip and lowering his gun, "we can just… talk about this. I know your wife left and that you lost your job, but that's no reason to hurt anybody else. You have children. Everyone's someone's kid. Do you really want to do that to somebody? What if it was your daughter, or your son? Just put the gun down and we can take you away so you don't hurt anybody else."

He heard the click of the safety being turned off and gulped. Everything that followed seemed to happen in a flash, and he couldn't recall any of it. All he knew was that he was on the floor and heard a second thud. He whimpered and winced, feeling a sudden pain in his shoulder and head.

"SHIT!" he heard Morgan yell as he kneeled beside him. He pulled off his vest and shirt, pressing the fabric into Reid's shoulder.

"We need a medic immediately. Federal agent down," he heard Hotch yell into his phone, "I repeat, federal agent down. Stay with us, Reid."

"M-my stomach, Morgan, my stomach."

"Reid, the bullet's in your shoulder, just next to your vest. We're going to get you to the hospital. You're going to be fine."

He whimpered again, crying softly. "B-but… my…" he started.

"Reid, stay awake, look at me."

He tried looking over at Hotch, but felt stuck to the ground. He felt his body slowly shutting down on him.

JJ ran up to the room. "Medics are on the way, Hotch, who is i-", she started, but then looked down at the ground to see Spencer bleeding out and unresponsive. "SPENCE!" She knelt beside him, resting his head in her lap. "Come on, Spence, wake up." She patted his cheeks, but nothing happened. She pressed down on Morgan's hand over his shoulder, hoping to help stop the bleeding, and ran her hand through his hair with her other hand, sniffling. She outright refused to leave him, even when the medics came. She rode along in the ambulance, holding his hand. "Just please, stay with me. You're going to be fine." She adjusted herself and looked at his head – there was blood underneath. "Can't this thing go any faster?!"

* * *

When they arrived at the hospital, JJ ran out of the ambulance and tried following the stretcher up to the ER.

"Ma'am, you can't go up there."

"But," she started.

"Are you family?"

She shook her head. "No, but I'm the closest thing he has."

"I'm sorry, I can't let you up."

She sighed, sitting in a waiting room chair and burying her head in her hands.


	8. Coming Clean

"How is he?" Garcia asked, running into the waiting room. "I got the first flight out I could find."

"They got the bullet out of his shoulder, but he lost a good amount of blood and took a hit to the head. They're waiting for him to wake up now," Hotch said with crossed arms.

She looked around. "…Where's Morgan?"

"Kicking himself. He was standing right next to Reid and feels that because he didn't shoot the unsub earlier, this is all his fault," Prentiss spoke up, sighing, "he also thinks when the gun went off he should've tackled Reid to the floor."

"Which would've done none of us good, because Reid would have several crushed ribs and Morgan would still be kicking himself," Rossi said.

* * *

She bit her lip, looking around and finding JJ. She sat down beside her, rubbing her back. "How are you holding up?"

She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Fine. Scrubbed all of his blood off my hands," she sighed, "and God was there a lot. It was awful. They wouldn't let me up with him because I'm not immediate family, even though I tried to lie myself in there. They won't let me back in his room until he wakes up so they can check on him. I just really need to know he's going to be okay."

"Honey, this is the boy who's been kidnapped, held hostage, drugged, tortured, and shot before. Trust me, he's going to make it," she said, wrapping her arm around the panicked blonde.

"I should've done something; I should've been there or _something_. What kind of big sister influence am I if I go and let him get shot?"

"Sweetie, we can't predict these things. We just have to have hope and believe that our little 187 is going to pull through."

* * *

He didn't recall falling asleep. In fact, for the first time in his life, he couldn't really recall anything that happened that day, if it had in fact only been a day. He heard the faint sound of beeping and tried reaching for his alarm clock. He found himself unable to reach for anything with his left arm. He opened his eyes slowly and winced at the bright light above him. He tried propping himself up on his arms, but only his right arm was able to move. He looked down and saw his left arm in a sling, and several bandages on his shoulder. Wincing, he felt a sudden pain in the back of his head, and reaching back, he felt stitches. Exhaling, he quickly reached for the call button, pressing it with all the strength he had.

His doctor walked in, clipboard in hand. "Nice to see you're awake, Mr. Reid."

"It's _doctor_," he said, barely audible, "what happened?"

"You were brought in two nights ago with a GSW to your left shoulder. Luckily, we were able to remove the bullet before there was any serious damage. You'll be in the sling for a couple months and need to change your bandages. You lost a lot of blood, and took quite the hit to your head. You have a slight concussion with six stitches in the back of your head, but you're expected to make a full recovery in no time. And you'll be happy to know that your team gave me your request for no narcotics."

He licked his lips, nodding. "Um, how… how is-" he started.

"Your baby?" she asked. He nodded. "You're a very lucky parent, Dr. Reid. Most falls like that would result in a miscarriage. I did a few ultrasounds and it's safe to say that your baby's fine. Though I do have to insist you stay out of the field on your job, for the safety of both of you."

He nodded. "You didn't tell my team, did you?"

She shook her head. "That's your information to tell. Not mine. They're asking to come see you, should I let them back?"

"Can I actually request two of them specifically first? I'd really like to talk with Jennifer Jareau and Penelope Garcia." It was now or never.

His doctor left the room and he looked down at his stomach. "Wish daddy luck."

* * *

Meanwhile, the doctor made her way out to the waiting room. "Who's here for Spencer Reid?"

They collectively got up and walked over.

"Is he okay?" Morgan was quick to ask.

"He's fine. He lost some blood, his arm's in a sling, and he's got a few stitches in his shoulder and head, but he's going to make a full recovery."

JJ exhaled. "When can we see him?"

"He's actually requesting two of you for now. Jennifer Jareau and a Penelope Garcia?"

Garcia looked puzzled. "…He wants to see me?"

His doctor nodded. "He's on the second floor, room 212. Go right on up."

She looked at JJ, confused, but then they walked up to his room.

* * *

When they walked in, JJ gasped loudly. Seeing Spencer looking so broken in a hospital bed was something she was never going to be able to get used to. She walked over and wrapped her arms around him, trying not to squeeze too tight.

"Spencer Reid, don't you dare scare me like that ever again, you hear me? Ever. If I ever see the lights leave your eyes again, I promise you, I'm going to bring you back from the dead just to kill you."

"Geeze, Jayje, let up on the guy," Garcia joked, taking the chair beside him, "how are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Tired," he said softly, "hungry, hurting… did I mention hungry?"

She smiled. "I promise I'll sneak you in some good food later on."

He smiled softly, thanking her.

"So, Spence," JJ said, wiping her eyes, "the doctor said you wanted to see us first?"

He bit his lip, nodding. "Can you sit my bed up, please?"

"Of course," Garcia said, adjusting the bed for him.

He exhaled. "This isn't going to be easy. It's really, really hard for me to admit. It's my biggest secret, and I don't want you to judge me or think of me differently because of it."

"We would never-" Garcia started.

He just had to spit it out. "I'm pregnant."

They both gasped, staring at him blankly. He bit his lip. "Can I get something? Anything? Please?"

"How? When? Where? Who?!" was all Garcia managed to spit out.

He sighed. "I think the how is obvious, the when is after the Tennessee case, and the who isn't important."

"Not important? Boy Wonder, that's the other half of your child. It's very important. If he doesn't want anything to do with that baby-"

"He doesn't know. And I'm perfectly fine with not having him involved."

"Okay, but if you need me to hunt this bastard down because you changed your mind and he needs to step up, I will hunt him down. Just give me a name, a job, hell, give me the brand of underwear he buys and I will somehow track him down to make him be a parent."

"Spence, you-you're having a baby? Like, a baby?" JJ finally spoke up.

He nodded. "Entering my fifth month next week, actually."

"This explains _everything_!" Garcia started.

"Pen!"

"No, really! The attitude, the appetite, the getting sick, the weight gain, switching from coffee to tea."

He bit his lip, suddenly feeling like a freak.

"Oh, honey!" she said, hugging him.

He winced. "Garcia, shoulder!"

"Sorry!" she quickly let go. "What is it? When's he or she making an appearance? Oh I'm going to spoil the HELL out of this child."

"I um, I'm due mid-July, and I don't find out until my next appointment," he said, looking down at his stomach.

JJ bit her lip softly. "Spence… can I?" she asked, her hand hovering over his stomach.

He shrugged. "There aren't any fetal movements yet, and it's barely there, but if you'd like to, feel free."

She smiled, pushing the top of his gown up, rubbing his stomach. "Oh, wow, Spence."

Before he knew it, Garcia's hand had made its way there too. He knew better than to try to stop her, so he just let it happen.

JJ smiled. "Now you can feel for yourself how weird a baby kicking is. And you thought the outside was scary."

"Jayje, don't scare the poor boy! We've got to take care of him, help him through this. We've got a single baby daddy genius that desperately needs our help."

I've read the books," he started, "all of the ones I could find."

Garcia gave JJ a look. "See, he desperately needs a woman's help here."

"Can um… can you start by helping me tell the rest of the team?" he asked, looking down at his hands.

JJ grabbed his chin with her finger. "Spence, come on, look at me."

He shook his head.

"Spence."

He swallowed, then looked up at her, tears in his eyes. She kissed his forehead. "You have nothing to worry about. You've got us on your side, and we're not going to let anything happen to you or that baby. We're going to help you through this, even if I have to hold your hand on the way."

"You mean it?" he nearly whispered.

She nodded. "Garcia will go get the team, and we'll tell them together. If you get stuck, I'll help you through it. Promise. Remember, I had to do this once myself. I'm the closest to an expert opinion that you're going to get on this matter."

He smiled slightly as Garcia left the room to go get the rest of the team so he could make his announcement.


	9. Telling the Team

Morgan was the first to run into the room, even before Garcia had made her way back.

"Listen, Pretty Boy, I'm sorry. I should've disarmed him or gotten you away from the bullet or taken it for you or caught you or something. Anything. I shouldn't have let you get hit."

"Morgan, I'm fine. It's a bit of a headache and a pain in the shoulder. It'll heal, I'll get over it," he said, attempting to sit up. "Jayje, can you get the pillow behind my back?"

She nodded, leaning him forward and then leaning him back after she put the pillow into position.

"You were pretty out of it, kid. You were shot in the shoulder and slammed your head into the ground, but all you could do was worry about your stomach, which was not only covered by the vest, but didn't get touched."

"About that," he started, "I'll explain when everyone gets here."

* * *

He chewed on his lip as everyone made their way into the room. It suddenly felt very crowded and he started to feel extremely claustrophobic. JJ sensed that he was panicking and grabbed his hand, squeezing it.

"You okay, Reid?" Hotch asked.

He nodded. "Doctor's requesting that I take a week or two off, make sure there's no further damage and that my shoulder's healing right. But, after that, I need to stick to the station with JJ or stay back with Garcia."

"I don't understand… if you're only being watched two weeks, why is your work afterward being limited?"

He bit down on his lip, trying to swallow the growing lump in his throat.

"Reid?" he heard Prentiss say, "what's wrong?"

"I guess I have to just come right out and say it." He looked at JJ, then back at his lap. "I'm pregnant."

"Come again?" Rossi spoke up.

"Pregnant, a common term for someone who's with child."

"Oh, trust me, I know the definition. I'm just trying to grasp the concept here."

"Male pregnancies aren't as uncommon as people would like to think. There were at least 50 cases within the last year in the United States, and of those 50, only 2 ran into any problems."

Garcia rubbed his back. "Enough with the human encyclopedia, you're only going to make your headache worse."

He sighed. "What's important is… yes, I'm keeping the baby. I'm nearly five months along. I find out the gender hopefully next week. The other father isn't involved, and I'm fine with that. After he or she is born, I'm going to stick to desk jobs so I'll be able to raise it and still work at the BAU."

"You've really thought this through, haven't you, Pretty Boy?"

He nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for the way I was acting toward everyone. I would've stopped it if I could."

"We'll talk this over in my office when we get back to Quantico – figure out everything for you for the next five months, then we'll worry about what happens afterward," Hotch finally spoke up.

"Thanks, Hotch," Spencer said. Hotch's voice had sounded very… calm, and understanding. Pretty much the opposite of what he'd expected.

"Who is this guy, Reid? I'll find him, set him straight," Prentiss said, "a guy would be crazy to not want to be around you and his kid."

"Thanks, Emily, but, it's really not that important to me. I just want the baby to be healthy. I don't need to go bothering this guy for a commitment from a one night thing."

She sighed. "Fine, but the second you change your mind-"

"Already called dibs," Garcia spoke up, "sorry."

He smiled to himself, resting a hand on his slightly bigger stomach.

"Just promise me something, Reid," Rossi spoke up. Spencer looked up at him. "for the love of God, do not name that child after something or someone that'll get it beat up on a daily basis."

"Deal."

Garcia looked at him, smiling. "I'd love to stick around, but I've got to find a way to sneak you in some decent food. I'll be damned if my future sorta niece or nephew has to eat cafeteria food. I'll be back in a bit. You get some rest. Everyone, out. You'll have plenty of time to see him later."

"But-" Morgan started.

"I said out, Derek Morgan. Don't make me put you back on the list."

He groaned. "See you later, kid," he said, before being rushed out of the room along with everyone but JJ.

* * *

"Hey, Spence?"

"Yeah, Jayje?"

She smiled. "How about I get a raincheck on that night of babysitting until you're cleared for your concussion and all healed up? You need all the practice you can get, but it's no good if you're broken."

"Sounds like a plan."

"And Spence?"

"Hm?" he said with a yawn.

"I'm really proud of you for doing this," she said, kissing him softly on the cheek, "after we get home, I'll go through all of Henry's old things, see if I can find some stuff for you. And I'm going to go to that closet you call an apartment, and help you clean out space for your baby to sleep. I'll help you get through this, and I promise you're not alone."

He sniffled and wiped his eyes. "Thanks, Jayje."

She kissed his forehead. "Get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up," she said, moving the pillow and laying his bed back. "Promise."

He nodded his head, sleep coming to him almost instantly, and his hand instinctively wrapping around his stomach. For the first time in a while, he had a feeling that everything was going to be alright.


	10. Released

When he woke up, Garcia was waiting for him with a bag in hand. He raised his eyebrow.

"Since you couldn't go out to dinner with the team, I brought dinner to you, as promised," she said, reaching into the bag and setting the tray in his lap. It looked heavenly in comparison to the food they tried to give him from the cafeteria.

"This looks amazing, thanks… where's JJ?" he asked, sitting up straight and wincing when he moved his shoulder the wrong way.

"Out in the hall on the phone with Henry. Just so you know, she stuck to her promise and didn't leave your side at all. She even got your stitches out of your pillow a few times."

He opened the tray and started eating. "Garcia, you're the best."

"I know!" she started. "Listen, I know you don't know what you're having yet, but… I went shopping and I couldn't resist."

He dropped his fork. "Should I be scared?"

"Of course not, silly," she said, digging through a different bag. She pulled out a few onesies and bibs, as well as some pacifiers. "I know they're not much, but like I said, I don't have any details for the mini genius yet!"

He put his tray to the side and picked up a onesie. He ran his finger over the fabric, and smiled at the phrase 'I Love My Daddy' stitched into the fabric in red. It suddenly hit him that in a few months time, he'd have a baby that could actually fit into one of these. He felt extremely overwhelmed and started crying.

"Spence?" JJ asked, walking in and sitting beside him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head, his voice cracking.

"Come on, one momma to another, in a sense. What's wrong?"

He swallowed and wiped his eyes. "I'm a horrible father and I'm a failure. I'm terrified of having my own baby. I shouldn't be doing this. I'm making a huge mistake and-"

JJ cut him off with a finger to his lips. "Shush." He looked at her, confused. "You think you're the first parent to go through this? God, Pen, how many times a week did I come into your office crying that I shouldn't be a mother?"

"At _least_ once a day. Sometimes even two or three times."

"See, Spence? You're not a failure. You're a parent. It's all about learning about it as you go – you can read all the books in the world, but it's all about experience. I promise you, once that baby's out of you and in your arms? You forget everything you worried about and you just know what you're doing."

He sighed, sniffing. "I just don't want to mess up."

"EVERY parent messes up! I heard Hotch telling Rossi that Jack refused to talk to him last week because he gave him spaghettios without meatballs for lunch. You just have to go with it and see what happens. No matter what, that baby will always love their daddy." She gave him a small hug and ruffled his hair. "Now eat up. That baby needs its strength."

"But what about, you know, the 'Reid effect'? Everyone knows that small animals and children don't like me and they're terrified or threatened by the sight of me."

"It'll be erased, and everyone that ever talked about it will feel like an idiot."

He smiled, picking up his fork and eating. "So, when do I get to go home?"

"Hotch was able to work his magic with the hospital. Your doctor's releasing you later tonight, and we fly out not long after. You sure you don't want to stay with me for a few days after you get home, so you're not alone with a concussion and busted shoulder trying to do everything?"

"I never try to do _everything_."

Garcia didn't hesitate to scoff.

"What?!"

"Oh, please, 187! You don't know the definition of 'take it easy'. You were shot and came to work the next day, kidnapped and you were back to work in no time. You don't know how to take time, relax, and take care of yourself, something you really need to learn to do with the little one on the way."

He sighed, looking at JJ. "Can I for a few days? Just until I can fend for myself at my apartment?"

She smiled. "Of course. You can tell Henry he's going to have a little cousin – he'll be ecstatic to have a little Spencer to play with."

Garcia gasped. "Spencer – the perfect unisex name! You should totally go with that!"

"So we can be Spencer and Spencer? No thank you," he said, finishing his food.

* * *

After he was released from the hospital, Morgan drove him back to the hotel room to pack up his things, with Garcia as the passenger. Morgan had offered to do it for him, but he sent him a dirty look, with '_haven't you done enough?'_ going unsaid. When Garcia opened the door to the room, he scooped his pile of books in his available arm and dropped them into his satchel. With some difficulty, he put his clothes into his go bag and zipped it, putting it on his shoulder. When he went to grab his satchel, Garcia snapped at him.

"No! No no, what are you doing? No!"

"It's just my books…"

"You have more than enough to worry about without lugging around an extra fifteen pounds from the tons of books you insist on bringing with you every single trip. Give it."

"But-"

"I said give it!"

He sighed, handing her the bag. She immediately took it, and upon realizing how heavy it was, shoved it at Morgan.

"Am I allowed to carry my clothes?"

"…Fine, but if you show any struggle, I'm taking that too."

"Don't you mean _I'm_ taking it?" Morgan asked, heaving the bag over his shoulder.

"Po-tay-to, po-tah-to."

Spencer smiled, walking out of the room.

* * *

Later, on the flight, everyone insisted on Spencer taking the couch. Rather than argue, he sat up, leaning against the arm and pulling a blanket over himself. He tried reaching to grab his bag, but was immediately scolded by Garcia.

"Nuh uh. Stop right there."

"What did I do?!"

"The doctor said no heavy lifting, mister."

"I just want to get a book."

"Then you ask."

He groaned. "Fine, Garcia, can you _please_ hand me one of my books?"

She looked in the bag and pulled out one of his books. Noticing an odd pattern on the bookmark, she flipped it open.

"Garcia, can you give me that, please?"

She gasped, shoving the book at him and taking out the sonogram. "It's little baby genius!"

"Can I get that back?"

"Aw, Jayje, you have to come see this!"

JJ got out of her seat and nearly sprinted over, looking over her shoulder. "Spence, how could you keep this from us?! So cute."

Rossi raised his eyebrow. "You ladies do realize it's a little blob in a bunch of white noise?"

Morgan shook his head. "Bad move, Rossi."

The girls brushed off the comment as Prentiss walked over to look, smiling. "Congrats, Reid."

He smiled slightly, blushing. "Can I get that back now?"

Garcia sighed dramatically. "Fine, Mr. Attitude," she said, handing it back to him.

* * *

"So, how much trouble are you in with Hotch?" Prentiss asked, sitting on the other arm of the couch.

He shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. I'm meeting with him in the morning. JJ's going to bring me in since I'm staying with her a few days, then I'm going to take the train back after the meeting."

"Spence, for the last time, I don't mind dropping you off. Stop trying to be so independent and let me help."

"Sorry, I'm just… not used to it. People wanting to care for me. You know, I raised my mom so I never really had someone to watch over me. It's weird."

"Well, you'll have to get used to it. JJ and I aren't going to let you do all of this alone," Garcia said, patting his head.

He smiled slightly, resting his available hand on his stomach. "Thanks you guys. Really."

"Anytime, Spence," JJ said, kissing his forehead.


	11. At the LaMontagnes

After they landed, JJ put her and Spencer's bags into her backseat and opened his door.

"I can get it myself."

"But you're not going to. Step one. Get used to people helping you. Once that baby comes, you'll be begging for it."

"Noted," he said, getting in. When he had several failed attempts of getting his seatbelt buckled, JJ did it for him. She got in herself and drove off.

"Henry's already going to be down for the night, but I'm sure he'd love to see his Uncle Spence for breakfast in the morning."

"Great, what are we having?"

She smiled. "I'm going to make you a nice, hearty breakfast. Oatmeal, waffles, toast, fresh fruit. I'm going to feed you and that baby very well."

"You don't have to do that. I can just have cereal."

She gasped. "You will **not**! You're getting a good, hot breakfast, and there's no arguing it."

He sat back, accepting defeat.

* * *

When they got to JJ's house, she grabbed their bags and helped him unbuckle himself.

"I had Will set up the guest room for you. I hope you're comfortable with it."

"JJ, it's more than enough. I could've had the couch." She sent him a look. "But the guest room sounds great."  
She smiled, unlocking the front door and leading him to the guest room. "Do you need help getting into your pajamas?"

"I think I've got it, thanks though."

"If you need anything at all, Spence, really, you're not a bother. Just let me know."

He nodded, hugging her with his uninjured arm. When she left, he had several failed attempts at getting changed. Luckily, he didn't need to bother her and found a way to make it work. He finally realized that he wouldn't be able to sleep on his back and panicked. Accepting defeat, he sent JJ a text.

_How am I supposed to sleep? I can't sleep on my back because of the baby, and I can't be on either side without aggravating my stitches or my shoulder._

Her response took no time, which comforted him – he knew she made herself available, but he would've felt terrible if he'd woken her up.

_I'll be there in a minute, sit tight._

He heard her get out of the bed in the next room and shuffle through her closet. She walked in a minute later with a body pillow.

"And that is?"

"A pregnant person's godsend," she said, laying it beside him. She put a bandage over his stitches and carefully laid him on his side, against the pillow. She pulled the blankets over him and ran a hand through his hair. "Night, Spence. I'll wake you up for breakfast."

He nodded, muttered a quick thank you, and fell asleep.

* * *

He was woken up in the morning with the most pleasant aroma reaching his nose. Maneuvering himself very carefully, he got out of bed without bumping his shoulder. He walked out to the kitchen.

"What smells so delicious?"

JJ smiled. "That'd be your breakfast, sleepyhead. Go sit."

"Sure you don't need any help?"

"You're my guest. Sit down."

He sat down at the kitchen table, looking around. On the table already were fruits, slices of toast, bacon, a big bowl of oatmeal, waffles, and he could smell JJ cooking omelettes.

"Hey, Jayje, is there any orange juice?" he asked, scanning the table.

"Will's at the store picking some up right now."

"You didn't have to go to the store for me. I could've just had water or tea or something."

"It's Henry's favorite to have with breakfast, we would've had to get it anyway."

"Where is Henry, anyway?" he asked, loading up his plate.

"Still sleeping. He'll probably get up when his dad gets home."

Spencer nodded, taking in a mouthful of oatmeal. "So," he started, "when do you usually leave for work?"

"You've got plenty of time. Don't sweat it. And don't talk with your mouth full," she said, pointing the spatula at him.

He blushed, mumbled a sorry, and continued eating.

"What do you like in your omelette?"

He thought for a minute. "Bacon, cheese, and peppers – if it's not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all," she said, opening the fridge and picking out the ingredients.

* * *

A few minutes later, Will walked through the front door. He left the orange juice on the table and made his way to Henry's room. Not long after, he returned with a half-asleep Henry in his arms.

"Mornin', Spencer," Will said, setting Henry down in his chair, "how you feelin'?"

He set down his fork and swallowed. "Pretty good, thanks," he grabbed the orange juice and poured himself a glass, "a bit scared, but who wouldn't be?"

Henry rubbed his eyes and realized that Spencer was sitting across the table from him. "Unca Spen!"

Spencer smiled. "Good morning, Henry."

"Why you here?!"'

"Well, I got hurt by a bad guy at work, so your mommy said I could stay with you a few days. Is that okay with you?"

The young boy nodded frantically.

"And I've got some great news for you, buddy. You're going to have a little cousin come July. I'm going to have a baby."

He gasped. "Baby Spen?!"

"You've got that right, buddy."

Henry scrunched his eyebrows, looking up at him. "But… who the mama?"

Spencer froze as JJ set his omelette in front of him.

"Well, Henry," Will started, "sometimes, there's a momma and a daddy, and sometimes there's a daddy and a daddy, and sometimes, there's a momma and a momma. But Uncle Spencer? He's a special guy. He's havin' a baby all on his own, 'cause he's smart and knows he can do it. Don't you think so, too?"

Henry climbed out of his chair, walked over to Spencer, and hugged his stomach, nodding. Spencer smiled, ruffling his hair. "You think Uncle Spencer can do it, little guy?" The boy nodded again, patting his uncle's stomach. Spencer teared up, quickly wiped his eyes, and finished his breakfast.

* * *

After breakfast, he, by some miracle, managed to take a shower on his own, dry himself off, and get dressed. He groaned as he fought with the button in his pants.

JJ knocked. "Spence, you don't need to get dressed up. You're just meeting with Hotch and coming back home."

"It's the principle of it all, JJ," he said, grunting and finally getting his pants buttoned.

"How about after I get home tonight, I take you out to get you some pants that'll actually fit without you suffocating yourself?"

He sighed. "Sounds like a plan. Can you help me with my sweater?"

"You don't need it, and you'll only aggravate yourself after I drop you off. Need help with your jacket?"

"I've got it," he said quickly, planning it out and slipping it on. "I do need help with my shoes though." As he walked out of the guest room, he pathetically held up his converse. "I can't reach my feet without the baby feeling weird, and I can't tie with only one fully capable hand."

"No problem. Sit down."

He sat on the bed and handed his shoes to JJ, who was kind enough to put on his shoes, tie them, and hide the laces so he wouldn't trip.

"Anything else?"

"Can we stop by my apartment, so I can grab some clothes and books?"

"Garcia already did. Your stuff's waiting in her office."

"You two are really not going to let me be fully independent, are you?"

"Not until you're completely capable. Ready to go?"

He nodded, pushing himself up on his good arm and standing up. Once he said a goodbye to Henry, and Henry said a goodbye to the baby, they were on their way to the office.

Spencer wasn't sure how to feel about going back to the office for the first time since making his announcement. He didn't know if everyone was going to look at him differently, or if they'd act as if nothing had happened, or if they'd all baby him worse than they already did. At this point, he wasn't sure which he'd be more worried about.

* * *

As they got in the elevator and pressed the button, he froze.

"You okay?"

He chewed on his lip. "Just kind of worried. Not sure how everyone's going to treat me now."

"I'll tell you now – it's going to be different, and it's going to feel strange. But eventually, they'll get used to it and treat you the same as they did before. Besides, if any of them do so much as look at you the wrong way, you know Garcia is going to jump down their throat."

He nodded as the doors opened. "Well, here goes nothing."


	12. Meeting

When he sat down at his desk, he set down his satchel and adjusted his sling. As if the baby wasn't going to be enough to get used to – he was also going to have the sling for the next two months.

JJ walked over to his desk, setting down his cup of tea. "Well, Hotch won't be in for another half hour… you going to be okay out here alone? Or do you want to sit in my office?"

He contemplated it for a minute, but then decided that hiding in her office would only make people talk about him more. "I'll be fine out here. I'll come and let you know when my meeting's over so I can get home."

"I'll do my best to try to limit Garcia's online shopping for the baby, but I make no promises."

"All I ask," he said, sipping his tea, "go on to your office. I'll be fine."

* * *

Not long after JJ left, Morgan came in. Spencer immediately prepared himself for the worst, knowing that he had probably spent the night thinking of jabs and jokes to throw at him. He sat up in his chair, setting his cup down and waiting for it to come.

"Hey, Reid. Feeling okay?" he asked.

Spencer looked up. "What, no witty nickname? No jabs? No comments about me?"

"I've got nothin'. Just worried about you is all."

"…Why?"

"Why? Do you not see your arm right now? You were shot three days ago. I can't find an insult for someone who takes a bullet and fights to come to work as soon as he can. And on top of that, having a kid on your own? That takes guts. The other guy's an idiot not to be following up on a night with you and he's really missing out."

For the first time in a long time, Reid was speechless. He didn't have anything to say or any facts to blurt out about the situation.

"How long are you out, anyway?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'm meeting with Hotch after he gets here to figure it all out. And it all depends on whatever Strauss tells him, which could be extremely problematic, considering."

"Good luck."

"I'll need it."

* * *

When Hotch came in, he walked right over to Spencer's desk. "Meet me in my office in 10," was all he said, before heading up the stairs to his office and closing the door. Spencer nodded and tried to hide the fact that he was panicking worse than ever on the inside.

Prentiss walked up behind him, rubbing his good shoulder. "You're going to be fine. We all know Hotch has a soft spot for you."

"Let's hope so," he said, getting up from his chair.

* * *

He checked his watch, made it up the stairs, and decided he'd rather wait outside his office than run late. Once the ten minutes were up, he knocked on the door.

"Come on in, Reid."

He took a deep breath, let it out, and walked into his office.

"Have a seat," he said, not looking up from his paperwork. Chewing on his lip, he sat down on Hotch's couch. It felt like forever before Hotch closed his folder and looked up at him, but judging by his watch, it only took about 46 seconds.

"How's the shoulder? And the head?"

He sighed. "Doctor says a two month recovery, if I'm lucky and there aren't any complications. As for the head, the concussion hasn't gotten any worse, but the stitches are getting caught on everything. Those will be out in about three weeks."

He nodded, writing on his notepad. "What about the baby?"

It felt odd, having someone ask him about the baby that wasn't Garcia or JJ. "The doctor did multiple screenings over the two days and says there aren't any problems as of right now. I bumped up my appointment with my own doctor, so I'll be hearing an opinion from her in a couple of days."

Again, Hotch was taking notes. "I talked to Chief Strauss about your situation and she agreed with your decision."

"Come again?"

"The one where you decided that you should stay at the station as long as you can travel, with Garcia when you're no longer allowed before your leave, and sticking to desk jobs after the baby comes. At your next appointment, I'd like you to get a note from your doctor that you're cleared for travel, and a copy of your records, in case we run into an issue."

"When will I be able to come back to work?" he spat out.

"The doctor said to stay out for 2-3 weeks due to the concussion and shoulder injury, so I'm going by your doctor's orders. If you need more than that for leave, I want you to tell me. I know you're not used to having to ask for help, but in your current condition, it's expected. I don't want you coming back before you're ready and running into any issues. Am I clear?"

He wanted to argue, but realized how lucky he was to still have his job, so he nodded, resting a hand on his stomach.

"Anything else you'd wish to discuss?"

He shook his head. "Can't think of anything."

"Alright then. I don't want to see you again in this office and at your desk working for two weeks. Take care of yourself, Reid."

"No problem, sir," he said, getting up. "I just need to stop by Garcia's office to grab my things, and then I'll have JJ take me back to her place."

"Her place?"

"Uh, yeah… she sort of insisted on taking care of me for a few days while I get used to the injuries, so she can be sure I'll be okay on my own for a few weeks."

Hotch nodded. "Wise decision."

"Thank you, sir," Reid said, giving a slight wave and walking out.

* * *

He walked over to Garcia's office and knocked.

"It's open," she called. He heard the distinct sound of shopping bags and internally groaned, walking in.

She smiled. "Hey, 187. How'd it go?"

"As expected. I'm out the 2-3 weeks the doctor recommended, and after that, I'm grounded to either the police stations or working with you, if you'll have me."

"Of course I will!"

He smiled slightly. "Should I be scared of what's in the bags?"

"It's a surprise. You'll find out eventually."

"I really don't like surprises."

"Well, you're going to have to get over that."

He groaned. "JJ said you had my stuff?"

"I already put it out in the car. I'm not going to let you lug that stuff around. What kind of auntie would I be if I put that strain on the little genius?"

"Listen, about the baby..."

"Oh, honey, don't tell me you're having second thoughts."

"What? Of course not. I'd never do that."

"Then continue."

"I have the ultrasound the day after tomorrow for finding out the gender, and it's not really something I want to do alone. JJ offered to come, but if she's on a case, I have nobody to go with, so I guess I was just sort of wondering-"

"I'd love to," she said, shushing him.

"Thanks, Garcia."

"Any time. Now, get yourself back to the house so you and the little one can rest up."

He nodded, walking out to his desk.

* * *

"How'd it go, Pretty Boy?"

"Well, that didn't take long."

"Old habits die hard," he said with a shrug.

"The doctor recommended I stay out for two weeks, so that's what Hotch is making me take. Luckily since it was a work-related injury, I'm still getting paid. I'll be back after the two weeks and I'll either be working at the police station where we're called or working alongside Garcia."

"She must be thrilled."

"Trust me, she is. And on top of that, she's freaking out that she's possibly going to my appointment with me."

"Not surprising."

He reached for his satchel and put it on his shoulder.

"Need any help?"

He shook his head. "I've got it, thanks."

"Listen, Reid, if you need anything, you know, this whole time, let me know."

He smiled slightly. "Thanks, Morgan. Might call you on that when it comes to assembling things: cribs, changing tables, rocking chairs… are you aware of how many things need to be built for a child?"

"Oh, I'm sure plenty."

JJ walked over. "Ready to go, Spence?"

"Ready to get out of here? Yes. Ready to spend the next two weeks going insane resting? Definitely not."

"You get used to it," she said, putting a hand on his back and leading him out.


	13. Butterflies

As expected, sitting at JJ's house and not working was driving him absolutely crazy. He'd already read all of the books on her shelves and the ones that Garcia had packed for him from his apartment. He tried flipping through the channels and finding something to watch, but nothing really held his attention. He'd refused to get his prescription for pain medication filled not only due to his fear of narcotics, but because he didn't want to take anything that might possibly hurt the baby. From books he knew there were some medications they deemed "safe", but he didn't want to take a chance. Instead, he was filling up ice packs and resting them on his shoulder while he laid back on the couch.

He'd finally relaxed and was dozing off on the couch when it happened. He felt like there were butterflies in his stomach – but what does he need to be nervous about? He's sitting, relaxing, and not worrying about anything work-related. He quickly sat up and, sure enough, it happened again. He reached for one of his books and flipped through, rushing to read a page, and then called JJ.

* * *

JJ looked at her phone, rolling her eyes and smiling. "Hating it, aren't you? First whole day home alone and you're already losing it."

"No, actually. I read all the books and I'm lying down with an ice pack on my shoulder and I was perfectly relaxed… and then something happened."

She froze. "Is something wrong?"

He read over the page again.

"Spence? Do I need to come home? Should I call Will to get back to the house?"

"N-no, JJ, it's fine, it's just-"

"Just what?"

He smiled. "I think I just felt the baby move."

She gasped. "Are you sure?" She was practically beaming.

"Yeah, I was sitting on the couch and I was falling asleep and it was like, butterflies. Then I looked it up and confirmed it. It's moving, Jayje. It's actually moving."

"Well, you know, somebody once told me, what was it? 'Babies kick to explore movement and strengthen muscle.'."

He shook his head. "Very funny."

"Well, does it still freak you out, now that it's on the inside?"

"Actually, not at all. It's really, I don't know, it just feels right."

Garcia walked into JJ's office to ask her about lunch, but JJ put her finger up to her.

"Hey, Garcia's here, can I put you on speaker so you can tell her?"

"Yeah, sure, go ahead."

"Tell me what? I thought he wasn't finding out until tomorrow. He PROMISED me I could go with him!"

JJ smiled, pressing the speaker button. "Go ahead, Spence."

"JJ, it's not that big a deal."

"It's a huge deal!"

"But nobody else can. It was just me."

Garcia was rapidly turning into a pleading five year old. "Come on, tell me!"

"Well, Garcia, I was just laying here on the couch, sleeping, and I got woken up-"

"Did Henry wake you? JJ, how could you let him do that!"

"Not it, but thank you for accusing your godson."

"Then what?"

"I felt the baby move for the first time."

"OH my god!" she squealed. "How was it?!"

"I don't know. Kind of like… butterflies or nerves, but rolling around in my stomach? Though technically it wasn't my stomach-"

"Don't ruin the moment, genius. Live in it! JJ and I will be there soon with lunch, and you can tell me all about it."

"You're bringing lunch?!"

"Yeah, craving something?"

"What would really hit the spot is a green tea with two sugars, a chicken sandwich with pickles, sweet potato fries, and extra pickles on the side?"

"…The pickle thing actually happens? I just thought that was a running pregnancy joke."

JJ looked at her. "Are you kidding me? Will probably hated me because I always had to have a jar near me."

"Oh, and if you can, could you grab some marshmallows, the little ones?"

"Craving?" JJ asked.

"And it's horrible."

"Be there soon, Spence," she said, hanging up the phone.

* * *

While Garcia grabbed their lunches from the backseat, JJ went up to unlock the door. Walking inside, she smiled at the sight before her. Reid was sitting up on the couch, both hands on his rounded belly. He was talking softly to it with a grin on his face.

"Spence?" she said softly, "food's here."

He looked up. "You didn't hear that, did you?"

She shook her head. "Promise."

"That wasn't weird, was it?"

She shook her head again. "I did it all the time with Henry. Just never let Garcia catch you. She'll want in on it."

"Noted," he said, getting off the couch and making his way to the kitchen table.

"How's the ice pack working?"

He shrugged. "Numbs the pain a bit. It's better if I just don't think about it and focus on something else."

"Like tomorrow?" Garcia asked, walking in and setting the bags down.

He nodded, sitting down.

"So, any feelings?" JJ asked, unloading the bags. "When I was pregnant with Henry? The whole week before my mind was going back and forth between girl and boy."

"Well, my mind's telling me the baby's a girl," he started, looking through the containers and grabbing his, "and I really don't mind the idea of it. It seems, I don't know, right?"

"If it is a girl, you're definitely going to need our help," Garcia said, opening her own food. "I'm sorry, 187, but there's no way I'm going to let you pick out that child's entire wardrobe. The poor girl would be wearing sweater vests and Converse until she's 18. They're perfectly fine for _you_, but she's going to need dresses and frills and butterflies and bunnies."

He looked over at JJ. "Butterflies and _bunnies_?"

"She means that she's not going to let you dress your baby in plain, boring clothes. Coming from Garcia, expect no less."

He shrugged, checking his sandwich, and eating.

* * *

After they'd finished, they were sitting around the living room. JJ and Garcia only had 20 minutes left in their lunch, but they wanted to give him as much human contact as possible to make sitting around later on more bearable.

"Excited for tomorrow?" JJ asked, looking at his rounded stomach.

"More nervous than excited, actually. Finding out the gender sort of makes it more, for lack of a better word, real. Are you going to be home?" he asked, looking up at her.

"The appointment's early enough that it won't interfere with work if there is a case, so I'll be there."

"And I figured if we're not going to be preparing for a case," Garcia started, "you could come into the office and tell everyone."

"But Hotch said I wasn't allowed back in the office for two weeks."

"Au contraire! I do believe he said he didn't want you at your desk working. He said nothing about visiting with news of the budding brainiac."

He opened his mouth to argue, but realized that she was right. "Sounds like a plan."


	14. Pink or Blue?

Sleep hadn't come easy to him that night, and the morning hit before he knew it.

JJ knocked on his door softly. "Spence, time to get up. You've got your appointment in an hour."

"I'm up, thanks," he said with a yawn.

"Breakfast is on the table when you're ready."

In his half asleep state, he managed to get out of bed, get himself dressed, and slip his shoes on, though tying them was absolutely impossible for him. Looking in the mirror, he looked down at his belly and rubbed it. "Hey in there. It'd be really cool if you made this easy for daddy today and let him see what you are. And I'm sure Aunt JJ and Aunt Penelope would love to find you out too so they can start shopping and spoiling you rotten."

He walked out to the kitchen and sat down. "No orange juice?"

"Sorry, Spence. Ultrasound today, you've got to drink water. I'll get you an orange juice afterward. And don't forget your vitamins," she said, setting a plate and his pill case in front of him. He opened the section for today, poured the pills into his hand, and swallowed them, followed by drinking his entire glass of water.

"So, is Garcia meeting us here?" he asked, cutting into his pancakes.

"She's going to meet us at the doctor's office, that way she can take her car to the office."

"No way to talk her out of it, is there?"

"Not a chance."

* * *

When they got in the car, Spencer's heart was racing. He'd never been this strange combination of nervous and excited before. Not even when he was in college as a preteen. As she was driving, JJ looked over and saw the nerves written all over his face. She looked back at the road, reached for his hand, and squeezed it. "You're going to be fine. I don't know how to explain it, but, it all goes away once you find out. Instead of nervous, you're just going to be really happy and looking at the sonogram every few minutes. You'll catch yourself doing it without meaning to and it just feels really good."

"The fact that I'm going to know is just strange. I feel like I should inform the other father but at the same time, it was a one night thing. I mean, I'm not going to bug the guy after a one night stand to ask for a commitment and for him to care about the baby. That won't get me anywhere."

She squeezed his hand again. "You're doing a really brave thing, keeping the baby and raising it alone. If it ever feels like too much, you can always talk to me. I've been there and done it, and experienced it all. And if, one day, you think the father should know? Garcia will have no problem tracking him down and dragging him to your place."

He smiled. "Wouldn't surprise me if she's already contemplating it. Though she did tell me I'm entirely too good at keeping the father a secret and she's upset she can't read me like a book."

* * *

Once they arrived at the doctor's office, they weren't surprised that Garcia's car was already in the lot and she was in the waiting room. After checking himself in, Spencer sat beside her, resting his hand on his belly.

"Feeling okay, 187? It's weird seeing my little genius dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie."

"He's just nervous," JJ said, sitting on his other side, "you're going shopping after work tonight, aren't you?"

"…Possibly."

"Just don't spend your entire paycheck on the baby, Garcia. You'd make me feel really guilty."

"We'll see," she said, ruffling his hair.

"Spencer Reid? The doctor will see you now," one of the nurses spoke up. Garcia practically squealed with delight, helping him out of his chair. When he was in the office, she also helped him up on the bed.

He waited a few minutes for his doctor to arrive, and after going over his symptoms and overall health, as well as explaining his injuries, it was the moment they were all waiting for.

He whimpered softly as the cold gel was spread on his stomach. JJ walked over to hold his hand, while Garcia sat beside him. He watched the screen closely and listened intently as she explained how the baby was growing.

"Would you like to find out the gender, Dr. Reid?"

He bit his lip, nodding. "Please?"

His doctor smiled, maneuvering the transducer and looking at the screen.

"Congratulations, Dr. Reid, it looks like you're having a girl."

He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and smiled, looking up at JJ. "I'm going to have a daughter, Jayje."

She kissed his forehead, grinning. "Congrats, Spence," she said, squeezing his hand.

He looked over at Garcia and saw her nearly in tears. However, he couldn't say anything, because he was there himself. He took his hand from JJ and wiped his eyes, sniffing. "Well, Garcia, you're going to need a new nickname. There's going to be a new Baby Girl in town," he said, watching the screen and smiling as he saw her sucking her thumb.

His doctor printed out three images, then wrote out his note that he'd be cleared to travel until his next appointment. She handed them over to him and cleaned off his stomach. "I'll see you in a few weeks. Take care of yourself."

He nodded. "I promise," he said, pushing down his shirt and exhaling. He had been right in assuming that knowing would make everything that much more real.

"Come on, Doctor. We're taking you to the office so I can show off the cutest little girl ever," Garcia said, helping him off the bed. On the way out, he made his next appointment, and then they were off to the BAU.


	15. Celebrating

"Does the feeling go away?" he asked.

JJ raised her eyebrow, keeping her eyes on the road. "What feeling?"

"About it being weird, you know, going from referring to the baby as 'it' to calling her a girl."

"Sooner than you think. Especially once you pick a name."

"I had to give Rossi my word that I wouldn't give her a name that would get her made fun of or hurt, but how exactly do I do that?"

"You run it by me first," she said with a wink as they pulled into the BAU parking lot.

"I um, I wrote to my mom, like I do every week. And I told her. And I just got her letter back yesterday after Garcia stopped by my apartment."

She took the keys out of the ignition and looked at him. "How'd it go?"

"Better than expected, actually. I'm guessing it was one of her good days. She told me that I did make an irresponsible decision, which I did, but I was doing the right thing by keeping the baby and raising it on my own rather than just giving her up. And as soon as I'm cleared to fly with her, she wants to meet the baby."

"See, Spence? You worry too much."

"I think I worry just the right amount for an unwed, lonely pregnant man."

She smiled. "Just tone it down a smidge."

They ended up arriving at the office before anyone else even made it in.

"Are you sure it's going to be okay that I'm here? Hotch did say I'm not allowed for two weeks. Despite what Garcia says, I don't want to aggravate him."

"Oh, it's going to be fine," JJ said, walking over and setting his mug on his desk. "I'm surprised you actually made the switch from coffee to tea. It's very… unlike you."

He shrugged. "Coffee had way too much caffeine for her to take in. I'd only be allowed to have one cup a day, whereas I could have a few cups of tea and still be fine. Though, trust me, as soon as I'm allowed coffee again, I'm ditching the tea for good."

She shook her head as Garcia walked in, her arms laden with shopping bags.

He groaned. "Garcia, you didn't."

"Just a little bit!"

"I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what's in the bags?"

"Well, Mr. Nosy, there's a few things for you and Little Miss Genius, but in this bag?" she said, holding one up, "I grabbed breakfast for everyone. I thought I'd make your news more exciting by feeding everyone first. Everyone takes news better if they don't have an empty stomach."

"I could've paid for it. You didn't have to."

"Nuh uh. You need to save your money for her, because I promise you, that little girl is wrapping you and everyone else in her life around her little pinky finger."

He looked over at JJ, hoping she'd be on his side. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. "Sorry, Spence, but she's going to have those puppy dog eyes that you can't say no to."

He groaned as he got up and followed Garcia to the conference room to set up.

She started unloading the bags, setting out several breakfast foods and juices, as well as several pink plates and cups.

"Do you need my help with anything?" he asked, moving over a stack of plates. She swatted at his hand quickly.

"I need you to take the doctor's advice and relax."

"You just hit a pregnant person!"

"Quit your whining, sit down and shush."

A few minutes later, Prentiss and Morgan walked into the office.

"Is there something going on in the conference room today?"

Morgan shook his head. "No, why?"

"Because there's someone in there moving around," she said, setting her bag down at her desk.

He shrugged. "Probably just Hotch and Garcia trying to get everything ready for a case."

This thought was off the table a few minutes later when Hotch walked in with Rossi. Garcia walked out of the conference room and made her way over to them. "Conference room in 5."

Hotch raised an eyebrow. "YOU'RE calling a meeting?"

"You've got that right."

"Is it a case?" Morgan asked.

"You'll see," she responded, walking back to the room and closing the door.

Rossi looked over at Hotch. "Any idea what this is about?"

"Haven't a clue."

Five minutes later, they all waited outside the conference room.

Garcia smiled, opening the door. "Breakfast is served!"

"So you called a meeting… for breakfast?" Emily asked.

"And you're arguing why?" Morgan said, picking up a plate.

Hotch looked around the room and saw Spencer. "Reid, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay home for the next two weeks."

"Actually, what I have left is 11 days, and technically, I'm not breaking any rules."

"Come again?"

"Well, you gave me orders not to be back at my desk working for the two weeks. Right now, I'm not at my desk, nor am I working. I'm just sitting in the conference room. Your rules said nothing about a friendly visit."

Hotch opened his mouth to speak, but had nothing.

"You asked," Rossi said, taking a seat.

* * *

After they'd all eaten, Morgan looked up at Garcia.

"So, Baby Girl, not like we didn't appreciate it, but what was this about?"

"Funny you should mention that…" she started.

"Mention what? Somebody want to clue me in here?"

"Well, Jayje and I joined our Boy Wonder at his appointment early this morning, and it just so happened to be a pretty big one."

"Is something wrong with the baby?" Emily asked.

Spencer smiled. "No, actually, the baby's happy and healthy. In fact," he said, reaching in his pocket, taking out the sonogram and handing it to her, "she's perfect."

She looked down at it, smiling. "Did you say she?"

"It's a girl!" Garcia practically squealed.

Emily walked over to Spencer and gave him a hug. "Congrats, Reid. You must be thrilled!"

"If now 'thrilled' is synonymous with 'terrified', then yes. Very thrilled. I was perfectly fine until Garcia started with the whole 'never being able to say no' to her thing."

"Oh, 187, that's nothing. You'll be so in love with her it won't matter. Besides, if you ever need to say no, have Hotch or Rossi do it. They can be the mean uncles and you stay the cool dad."

"Not a bad idea," Morgan said, drinking his orange juice.

"Well, I guess giving you some of Jack's old things is now out of the question," Hotch started, then looked at Garcia, "am I going to need your approval for anything I buy?"

"Not sure yet. We'll see."

* * *

Reid smiled, running a hand over his stomach.

"Okay over there, kid?" Rossi asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, she's just really excited today. She won't stop moving around in there."

"She's moving already?"

"Well, usually the baby starts moving sometime in the fifth month, and I just started feeling it, so she's early on it. Hopefully this means she comes out early and doesn't cause my body anymore strain than she already is."

"No!" Garcia said, looking over at him. "You let her bake in there as long as possible, Prodigy! You hear me?"

He put his hands up defensively. "Sorry!"

* * *

After everyone had finished eating and asking questions, JJ decided it was time to get him back to the house.

"Come on. She's had more than enough excitement for one day. Time to get you home and in bed."

He quickly said his goodbyes, and inside he couldn't wait for the next 11 days to go by. He wanted so badly to be back at work. And, as welcoming as JJ and Will were, he wanted to be back in his own apartment and fending for himself again.

When they got back to her house, she changed his bandages and tucked him in on the couch. "Take it easy, promise?"

He nodded, rubbing his stomach and grinning. "We promise."

* * *

**Author's Note:** First off, thank you to everyone for reading this story! I hadn't written a story in three years and this is my first attempt at writing again, so it's nice to see I'm not so bad. Your reviews are making me feel like I'm doing something write, as are the stats on the story. On another note, I love seeing you guys trying to guess the baby daddy. I can promise you that he'll be revealed later on, but that's all I'm going to reveal - gotta keep you on your toes!


	16. Back to Work

Luckily, the days left on his leave weren't as miserable as he thought they'd be. Unfortunately, over the 11 days, he felt as if his stomach had doubled in size, and it was a lot more noticeable. On top of that, she had started a habit of waking him up in the middle of the night by doing somersaults. He knew that he couldn't stay mad at her though, even inside the womb. He'd gone to the doctor and been officially cleared to go back to work, which was honestly the greatest thing he had ever heard.

"Hey, Jayje, can you come here a second?" Spencer called, zipping up his bag.

She walked in. "Need help packing?"

He shook his head. "No, that's all set…"

"Then what's up?"

"Come here."

She raised her eyebrow and walked over. "What's this about?"

"Shh!" he said quickly, taking her hand and resting it on his bump. When she felt a nudge against her hand, she gasped.

"Spence, that's amazing!"

"So you can feel it too now?"

She nodded, smiling. "Quite the little kicker in there, isn't she?"

"Especially at 3 a.m. Apparently, daddy doesn't need sleep when there's room for her to roll around."

"Trust me, Spence, when you're in your ninth month, you'll miss these days," she said, kissing his cheek. "Am I still dropping you off at your apartment on the way home from work?"

He nodded. "You've been great but I just, I need to be on my own again."

"Oh, I get it, believe me. Though I'm sure Henry's going to miss his Spen."

He smiled, putting his go-bag on his shoulder. "Can you grab my other bag for me? And take me to the store so I can pick up one of those body pillow things?"

"It's all yours," she said, picking the pillow and bag up. "Now, come on, you don't want to be late for your first day back at work."

"Definitely not," he said, walking out to the car and setting his bag in the backseat.

* * *

"So, any cases in yet? Anything exciting for me to jump into?" he asked, pressing the button on the elevator.

"Sorry, it's a paperwork day."

He sighed, sipping his tea.

"But Hotch did get in touch with your doctors and get a copy of your records and a doctor's note that you're cleared to travel so if something does come up, you won't be stranded here."

"Sounds great. Is there anything I can do for this back pain?" he asked, shifting slightly.

"Just have to wait it out. But you definitely should try stretching and walking around every once in a while."

He groaned. "Well, this should be fun."

"It could be worse. I could've let Garcia sign you up for those prenatal classes instead of just giving you all of the details myself."

"And trust me, I'm forever in your debt for that. She wanted to come with me every week. Could you imagine? I'm terrified for her reaction when she finds out you felt her kick today."

"I definitely wouldn't envy you," she said, walking off the elevator and to her office.

When he got to his desk, he raised his eyebrow at a bright pink bag waiting for him. He put down his bag and tea and checked it.

"Hey, Jayje, is this from you?"

She poked her head out of her office and shook her head. "But I'm willing to bet if I were given one guess I could figure it out."

He pulled out the tissue paper and took out the card. Surprisingly, it wasn't from Garcia – it was from Prentiss. He pulled out a large book with a Post-It note on the front.

_Reid - _

_You did promise Rossi you'd give her a normal name. Pretty sure you can get one from here. Hopefully it's a good read!_

_Emily_

He smiled, taking the note off and casually flipping through the book. There had to be easily 100,000 names in that book. Picking just one was definitely going to be a challenge. He peeked in the bag again and swore that he would praise her when she finally got to her desk. He told JJ last week that all he wanted was pistachios, and at the bottom of the bag was the largest package of them he'd ever seen. He pulled it out and set it on his desk, then sat in his chair and started the book in the A's.

"Welcome back, Pretty Boy," he heard Morgan say as he sat at his desk. He put his finger up and didn't speak until he finished the B's.

"Good to finally be back," he started, putting in a bookmark and setting the book down on his desk. "No offense to JJ, because she was amazing, but sitting around her house doing nothing is a form of torture. I can't even count the amount of times I played with building blocks with Henry just so I had something to do."

"And I'm sure the little guy enjoyed every minute of it."

"It was definitely interesting to have someone actually paying attention to all of the facts for a change."

* * *

"Hey, Reid. Welcome back." He looked up to see Prentiss walking toward him. "I see you got your present."

"Yeah, and it's amazing, thank you. I'm already in the B's. And this?" he said, pointing to the bag of pistachios. "You might officially be my favorite person on the planet."

"JJ told me last week how you were craving them worse than anything. I just hoped you still were by the time you got that."

"Oh, trust me, I am."

"And, I had to promise Garcia that I wasn't shorting you on a gift for the baby, and was just giving that to you for fun."

"I'd get up and hug you or something to thank you, but with the back pain and swollen feet that's kind of hard… here, give me your hand."

"My hand?"

"Just trust me."

She raised her eyebrow, but held out her hand to him. He pushed up his jacket and rested her hand on his bump.

"Oh, wow. That feels…"

"Weird?"

"Not weird. Though it's definitely different. Is that the first time?"

He shook his head. "She did it this morning for JJ while I was getting ready."

"Feels real now, doesn't it?"

"Definitely. Once I'm back in my apartment, JJ's going to bring by some of Henry's old things for my spare room so I can start getting the nursery together. I have a feeling once that's completely done, it'll really hit me."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," she said, rubbing his bump and sitting at her own desk.

* * *

He looked at the stack of folders on his desk, and realized they were the exact same size as when he left, maybe even smaller.

"What's this? The great Derek Morgan didn't sneak _any_ files into my pile when I was gone for two weeks? In fact, I'd say there's even a few missing from the stack."

"We all know I can't get anything past you, Reid," he started. "Besides, with a kid on the way and two injuries, you have enough to worry about without me being a pain in the ass."

Spencer looked over at Emily. "I give it two weeks before he's back to normal."

"I give him one."

He smirked, grabbing the first folder and looking through.

* * *

**Author's Note:** A few things I need to get across.

- Once again, thank you to those who are reading. I really appreciate it.  
- I am now moderating reviews due to quite a few hurtful ones, insulting both my writing and my intelligence.  
- The Reid being called a father issue: I understand people have different definitions when it comes to MPREG. But the way I've written it before, and will continue to write it, I'm not going to refer to a male character as a 'mother' or 'mommy'. This is my style of writing, and I'm not going to change it. As for telling the child when she's older? My story. You'll see where it goes.


	17. Panic

His first day back had been extremely uneventful, but he's pretty sure he preferred it that way. The next two weeks carried on just the same, and he believed he was growing bigger by the day. He was finally back to staying in his apartment, though JJ insisted on driving him home every day, because according to her, the subway was no place for a pregnant man. When it was time to leave one day, he slipped the baby names book into his bag after his tenth read through and walked to JJ's office. Unfortunately, the door was closed, and he heard her talking to Garcia.

"You're _sure_?" he heard JJ say in a whisper.

"I know I shouldn't have, but I was curious. I got the security footage from that night at the club, Jayje. He's _definitely_ the father of baby genius."

He felt his heart sink and ran a hand over his belly. He knew he shouldn't be listening, but it did involve him, after all.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I saw him walking him to his hotel room after karaoke and it doesn't show him leaving until the next morning."

She sighed. "You know we can't find him and tell him. It's none of our business. This is Spence's decision and I'm not going behind his back and getting him involved when it's quite obvious he doesn't want him to be."

"What if he does want him involved, but he's too scared to admit it? You remember how hard it was for you in the beginning, and you had Will."

Another sigh. "And he's going to have you and me. I'm not betraying his trust and doing this. He'd adamant on doing this alone, and I'm not going to insult him by telling the father."

"But Jayje."

"I'm not doing this, and if you do, he'll never forgive you."

"Fine, but if he even shows the slightest sign of needing him in the baby's life, I'm not going to hesitate."

"Pen!"

"What? I'm not going to let our prodigy panic and worry that he's not doing it right."

He'd heard enough. He pushed his bag further up his shoulder and walked back to his desk, trying not to have his emotions written all over his face. Working with a bunch of profilers, they'd find him out in a heartbeat. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down very unsuccessfully. He hadn't had one in years, but based on all of the symptoms, he was almost positive he was currently having an anxiety attack: he was worried that the father would find out, he just wanted to run away from it all, he was pale(r than usual), lightheaded, and could feel his heart beating faster than it should. He knew they weren't exactly uncommon, but that he needed to calm down fast if he didn't want to cause any problems.

"Hey, Pretty Boy, you okay?"

He looked up to see Morgan watching him as he packed up his things. All he could manage to do was nod as he continued to try to catch his breath.

"You're sure?"

Another weak nod.

"Nuh-uh. You're coming with me, I'm taking you to the hospital," Morgan said, trying to help him up.

He shook his head, "I-I'm fine."

"You can't catch your breath. Last I checked for a pregnant person, that's not fine, come on."

He still refused.

"Do you want me to get JJ and have her take you?" Another head shake. "Then come on."

He picked the young doctor up and carried him to the elevator, pressing the button.

* * *

A few minutes later, JJ walked out of her office and to Spencer's desk. His things were still there, but he wasn't. She checked the bathrooms and Hotch's office, but there wasn't any sign of him.

"Garcia, did Spence say he was going anywhere or had any meetings?"

"No, why?"

She groaned, taking out her phone and calling him. No answer.

"Are you looking for Reid?" Prentiss asked. "I just saw Morgan carrying him out of here, said he's taking him to the hospital."

JJ started panicking. "Hospital? Did he say what for?"

She shook her head. "But you just missed him. Need a ride?"

She nodded, picking up her bag and Reid's and following her out.


	18. Planning

When Reid woke up, he saw Morgan flipping through a magazine beside his bed. He took a deep breath and felt the cannula tube move on his upper lip. He sighed and cleared his throat.

Morgan looked up. "Well, good morning, Pretty Boy."

"…It's morning?" he asked softly.

"Just an expression. Actually it's," he checked his cell phone, "9 p.m."

"What am I doing here?"

"End of the day, you were having a panic attack at your desk. It got pretty bad so I brought you in. Good thing I did, because you stressing caused the little one to stress, and that definitely would've been a mess."

He ran a hand over his bump. "Well, thanks."

"No problem. What were you so stressed out about, anyway?"

He bit his lip, trying to think. It suddenly came back to him, and he had to think up a lie, quick. He didn't need Morgan knowing that Garcia had hunted down the father, because then he'd find out and somehow the entire team would know.

"Kid?"

"Just, worried, you know, about the baby coming. 24 weeks is about the point where you have to start making the birth plan and start getting everything together for the baby coming, even though she's not due for another 16 weeks. That's only four months away and I don't have near all the stuff I'm going to need and it all just sort of hit me at once."

"Take it easy before you give yourself another one."

* * *

He sighed, nodding and running his hand over his bump again. "But she's okay?"

"The doctor said she was stressed out, but she's going to be fine. You just need to worry less."

"Yeah, having a baby by myself in four months and having a high stress job? That's entirely possible."

"You having that baby alone? It says a lot about you, Pretty Boy. You're doing something a lot of people couldn't handle. And do you really think the team's going to leave you high and dry?" He shook his head. "Of course not. We may not be the other father, but you can sure as hell bet we're going to help you as much as we can, or as much as you'll let us anyway."

"It's just, you know, getting so much more real now."

"I can imagine. Now, no stressing, you hear me?"

"About what?"

"The doctor wants to keep you overnight, just to be sure your body's fully recovered."Spencer groaned. "…and Hotch found out. He wants you to take tomorrow off and get another doctor's note that you're cleared." He groaned again, louder this time.

"Fine. Only for her," he said, motioning toward his bump.

"The rest of the team's here to see you. Can I let them in?"

He chewed on his lip, but nodded. He knew he'd have to deal with JJ and Garcia again sooner rather than later.

"I'll be right back," Morgan said, setting his magazine down, patting Reid's good shoulder, and walking out.

* * *

After a few failed attempts, he was able to pull up the back of the bed and put a few pillows behind his back. He ran his hand over his bump. "Send daddy some good feelings to put on a good poker face, okay? We can't let them know I heard."

Seconds later, he heard a knock on the door.

"It's open…"

Very unsurprisingly, JJ was the first to rush in, taking the seat beside him. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry I wasn't there. I should've been because I said we were leaving right at 5 and I was preoccupied. I'm sorry."

He smiled slightly. "Jayje, it's okay. Things happen. She and I are perfectly fine."

"What brought it on?"

"Just stress," he saw Hotch open his mouth to speak, "about the baby," he finished. "You know, putting everything together, making the plans, finishing up the shopping, emptying out the spare room, baby-proofing the apartment…"

She smiled, running a hand through his hair. "I'll help. Promise. You have nothing to stress about. After I get you home tonight, I'll help you start taking care of everything."

"No can do, doctor wants to keep me overnight. Unless Hotch wants to work his magic and get me out of here."

"Nice try, Reid. You're here tonight and most of tomorrow, and you'll need a doctor's note."

"It was worth a shot," he said, defeated.

Garcia walked in, bag in hand. "And since you're stuck here, I brought you some of your books; including the one Emily gave you that you absolutely refuse to put down, green tea, and dinner. I'll be back in the morning with a decent breakfast."

He knew he couldn't stay mad at her, because she did what she thought was right. He was also surprised it had taken her that long to steal the security footage and find out for herself. "Thanks, Garcia, but you don't have to-" she shot him a look, "nevermind."

* * *

"So, Reid, six months already?" Emily said, sitting in the chair opposite JJ's.

"As of yesterday, actually. Did you know in the sixth month of pregnancy, if I were to go into labor, the baby would have an 85% chance of surviving?"

"Let's not test that theory with more panic attacks," she said, patting his shoulder.

"Not to mention that the baby's moving a lot more in the amniotic fluid, so I'd be able to let her listen to music-" he looked around, and rushed "but no more than an hour a day because it amplifies sound" before anyone could say it for him. "By the way, this weekend, if you guys aren't on a case or busy with something else, I was hoping to maybe start decorating the spare bedroom for the nursery. If you're busy or can think of something better to do I understand, but I know I can't do it all on my own, looking like I have a beach ball for a stomach and all."

"Everyone please agree before he rambles for the next hour," Hotch started. "I've got Jack's soccer match in the morning on Saturday, but after that, Beth can watch him and Rossi and I can head over."

"I'm free," Emily said, looking around.

"Me too," Morgan spoke up.

"And I can't think of anything I'd rather do," Garcia said, beaming.

"And you know Will and I will be there for you."

He smiled to himself, finally feeling like he was going to accomplish getting most of the nursery done, which would give him one less thing to stress about.


	19. Nursery

As instructed, he stayed at the hospital overnight and was able to go home the next night. By the time Saturday rolled around, he was ready to start getting the nursery done. After he woke up and had his tea, he got dressed to run a few errands. Earlier in the week, he had enlisted the help of JJ and Morgan while he picked out the furniture – JJ for her expertise, and Morgan to do all of the heavy lifting. He went to the hardware store to check out the paint swatches. He didn't want to paint her room pink, because he didn't want to think of Pepto Bismol every single time he went in to check on her. He also didn't want anything too bright because he didn't want the color to keep her up at night. He finally landed on a pale yellow and put two cans in the cart. Once he finished up there, he went to the grocery store to pick up a few things for lunch – if they were giving up their Saturday for him, the least he could do is feed them.

* * *

When he finally made it back to his apartment, JJ was there waiting. As he reached for the paint cans, she scolded him.

"WHAT are you doing?"

"I'm just grab-"

"Oh no you're not! I should scold you just for going to the store alone. One busted shoulder and a baby on board and you were lugging around paint cans? What would Garcia say?"

"For the love of god, please don't tell her."

"I won't, this time," she said, picking up the cans as he grabbed the grocery bags. While he went to the kitchen to unpack the groceries, she brought the cans to the nursery.

"I can't believe that there was actually a room under all of those books."

"Very funny," he said, putting out food on trays and covering them in plastic wrap. "What time is everyone getting here?"

"At noon, so," she checked her watch, "we have another 20 minutes before they start getting here."

"We got the crib, changing table, rocking chair, swing, you brought Henry's bassinet, I got the paint, Garcia's bringing the decals… are we forgetting anything?"

"You're forgetting to breathe?"

He took a deep breath and looked at her. "Happy?"

"Very."

He sat down on the couch and rolled his shirt up. Where his usual innie was, there was now an outie poking out.

He sighed. "I'm huge."

JJ looked over. "You are not. Your belly button's just popped, it's totally normal."

"And to think, I've got about 15 more weeks of growing. I'm going to look like a twig that swallowed a watermelon. I'm going to be absolutely enormous."

She shook her head. "Just remember. Getting bigger means that she's getting bigger and healthier and that you're doing it right."

"I just wish I could fast forward the next 15 weeks and have her already."

"Do you have a name yet?"

"No…"

"No wishing her out until she has a room and you've officially named her."

"But-"

"I said no."

He groaned, rubbing lotion on his bump and pushing his shirt back down.

* * *

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Spencer tried getting up, but JJ pointed a threatening finger at him before he could. He sighed, sitting back as she opened the door and held it open for everyone to come in.

"Hey, Pretty Boy. You're looking… circular."

"Derek Morgan, if you even think of insulting him over the next 15 weeks, you have me to deal with, do I make myself clear?" Garcia said, walking in and setting down shopping bags.

Morgan groaned, setting down his tool box. "So, where's the little girl sleeping?"

"Down the hall, second room on the right," Reid said, pushing himself off the couch. "The paint's on the floor in there, and so are the brushes, painter's tape, and tarp for the floor."

"We'll take that," Hotch said, him and Rossi walking to the room. It was rather odd to see the usual well dressed men in jeans and t-shirts.

"And the boxes for the crib, rocker, and changing table are in the hallway next to the room."

"Got it," Morgan said, picking up his toolbox and walking down the hall.

"What do you need me to do, Reid?" Prentiss asked, setting down some shopping bags.

"Oh, not you too."

"Sorry, I've been bitten by the baby-buying bug. I 100% blame Garcia for it."

Garcia shrugged. "It's a gift."

"Anyway," he started, "the paint should be dry in a few hours, then the decals can go up on the wall, if Garcia remembered them."

She scoffed. "If? Printed them this morning and they went right in my bag," she said, holding it up.

"And I know I shouldn't have," Emily started, "but I couldn't resist." She opened one of the bags and pulled out a package, holding it out to him. It was an entire bedding set for her nursery in light greens and yellows, and it was covered in woodland animals. He smiled, running his finger over the fabric. "Garcia told me the theme and I wanted to help with it, though if you don't like it I can take it back."

"No, no, don't. Please. It's perfect. Thank you so much," he said, reaching out and hugging her. She smiled, rubbing his back. She knew how few and far between Spencer Reid hugs were, so she was going to take all she could get.

"How much longer are you in the sling?" she asked, pulling away.

"Another three weeks, then I should be cleared. And no, I'm not showing you the wound. It's disgusting."

"After she comes out and things start coming out of her, trust me, you're changing your definition of disgusting," JJ said, picking up the bedding and looking through.

* * *

Once the nursery had been painted and everything had been assembled, Reid called everyone for lunch in the kitchen, setting out the trays.

"So, Reid, you're really not going to tell us who the father is?" Rossi asked.

Spencer tried to ignore the fact that everyone looked up from their plates, and JJ and Garcia exchanged a look. He shook his head. "If he doesn't know he's the father, I don't think it's fair to go around telling other people that he is. Maybe one day he'll know, but until then, it's my secret to keep."

"That's pretty gutsy, kid. Kudos," Rossi said, going back to his plate.

"And before you ask, no, I'm not that scared of doing it alone. My mother practically raised me alone before she got really sick and I turned out fine." He opened up the pickle jar and set a few on his plate and looked up to see the team looking at each other, trying to come up with how to respond. "So I'm thinking after lunch," he nearly spat out, changing the subject, "we'll put the decals up, put up the curtains, arrange the furniture, and get everything else in there. I figure if we all do it, it can be done within the next few hours and you can all still have some of your weekend so I won't feel guilty taking up all your time."

JJ rolled her eyes. "It's not taking all our time if we volunteered, Spence."

He shrugged, finishing his plate.

* * *

Getting everything into the nursery was extremely easy. Getting it arranged in a way that Spencer approved of was a completely different story.

"Okay, Pretty Boy, what if the rocking chair goes in that corner?"

He shook his head. "No, there could be too much sunlight leaking through the corner of the curtain and she'd get grumpy."

"What if we put the changing table over there then?"

"Why, so she can get _more_ agitated when I'm trying to change a soiled diaper? No thank you."

"What if the crib goes against that wall over there," Garcia said, pointing. "It's away from the door and far enough from the window that there couldn't possibly be any sunlight to bother her."

He looked over at Morgan. "Why can't you just think like her?"

Morgan rolled his eyes, moving the crib over and moving aside as Garcia put in the bedding.

"And put the changing table over there," he said, pointing, "that way she's close enough to the crib that it's not too much of a hassle for the middle of the night." Rossi quickly picked it up and moved it to Reid's location, then, of course, Spencer ordered that it be moved two inches to the left. Meanwhile, JJ put the rocking chair in the corner opposite the one Morgan had suggested, and Emily moved the dresser in front of the window, since nothing else could go there without Spencer all but tearing somebody's head off.

Hotch could do nothing but watch with a grin on his face. Watching the youngest member of the team order the rest of them around was definitely entertaining, and a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

* * *

After a few hours of planning, everything was done. Every piece of furniture was set in a place where the baby would be most comfortable, according to Spencer. He quickly looked around while everyone was in the kitchen, deciding on what to order on their pizzas. He opened the dresser drawers and smiled as he looked at the variety of clothes she already had waiting for her. He ran his finger over the fabric of the bedding, and paid close attention to the decals Garcia had made and put on the walls. She also made him promise that she could make decals of her name to stick above the crib, but unfortunately, he wasn't budging on the names he was contemplating, and it'd have to wait until after she was born. He took a deep breath, taking it all in.

As if she knew where he was that very moment, she gave him a small kick. He smiled, running his hand over his bump and sitting in the rocking chair. "This is all going to be for you soon enough. Feel free to take your time in there, though. Daddy wants you to stay in there as long as you can so you grow really healthy and strong," he slowly rocked back and forth. "You know what daddy does for a living, don't you? He catches the bad guys that hurt people so they can't hurt anybody else anymore. I'm never going to let anybody hurt you, and if they do? Not only do they have me to deal with, but they've got daddy's team, and having worked with them for over 7 years? They're the last people anyone will want to aggravate. Especially your aunt JJ. She may be tiny and seem non-threatening, but if you try to hurt her family? I'm sure she'll turn into someone's worst nightmare."

"And don't you forget it!" he heard. He looked up to see JJ leaning in the doorway.

"You heard all that, didn't you?"

"Every last word."

He blushed slightly. "Sorry."

"Don't be. You're right – if anyone ever thinks of hurting that little princess, I will make sure they're never seen or heard from again."

He smiled, pushing himself up. "Thanks."

"Now, come on. Pizza's going to be here soon. You get the first slice."

He ran his hand over his bump, walking out to the kitchen with a smile on his face.


	20. Ignorance and Plans

When he went into the office Monday morning, he was in a bad mood. He threw his satchel on the floor and sat in his chair, groaning.

"What's up, Reid?" Prentiss asked.

"Well, my morning _was_ going perfectly fine."

"Until?"

"Until a woman stopped me when I was leaving the coffee shop with my tea this morning. She decided to tell me that homosexuals like me will burn in hell, especially for procreating with another man. I'm apparently a menace to society and God will never forgive me for my misdoings – that's why he had me shot, he was aiming for my heart but regretted it at the last second and hit my shoulder. Oh! And the BIGGEST gem? My daughter is going to be Satan's partner in crime and I'm a horrible parent for allowing that to happen."

"Damn, Reid, I'm sorry."

"First off, where does she get off, automatically assuming that I'm gay?" Reid ranted. "I mean, yeah, I'm having a kid and it's obvious I had unprotected sex with another man, but I wasn't aware one drunken night of pure experimentation automatically meant that I was homosexual. And on top of that, how dare she even try to say something about my daughter? Whether she's "cursed by the devil" or not, she's an innocent baby. Obviously she doesn't know the bible she's shoving down my throat very well if she's insulting a child, who's innocent until they sin themselves."

"Reid, there's always going to be ignorant bigots out there. You just have to do your best to ignore them."

He groaned, leaning back in his chair. "It's just a really tough week. I'm not sleeping very well. Because of the baby pressing on the lungs, I'm snoring now, and the way to relieve is sleeping on the left side. BUT I'm not allowed on my left side for another three weeks when I get rid of the sling and can finally start using my arm again. Not to mention the dreams."

"Dreams?" JJ asked, walking over and sitting on his desk.

"Um, yeah, last night I had a particularly bizarre one. I gave birth to the baby and we were at home, but then every time I went in to go check on her, she wasn't there. She just sort of, disappeared?"

"Perfectly normal," JJ said, "around 25 weeks, I was having nightmares that Henry would be born as different zoo animals. Will was concerned that I was waking up screaming 'He's not a giraffe'."

He smiled slightly. "I read in the books that the vivid dreams could happen, I just didn't realize they'd be so… real."

She rubbed his back. "They'll go away soon."

Hotch walked past their desks, with a quick 'round table in 5'. Reid sighed, picking up his tea, his bag, and walking to the conference room.

* * *

When everyone finally arrived, before he even introduced the case, Hotch looked over at Reid.

"Do you have your paperwork?"

Spencer took a folder out of his bag, handing it to him. "Not only the doctor's note saying I'm cleared to work, but also the one stating that I'm clear to fly, and a copy of my records, should we run into medical emergencies of any kind."

After a quick browse through the folder, Hotch put it in his bag. Garcia stood up and started introducing the case.

"This one's a doozy," she started, picking up the remote, "two families found dead in their homes in a small Iowa town in the last 6 days. Each family was Caucasian and consisted of a stay-at-home mother, working father, daughter, and son."

"What several people see as the traditional American family," Reid said, looking at the screen.

"Ten points to the prodigy," Garcia said, looking back at the folders, "children were killed quick and painless, while the parents suffered."

"What makes you say that?" Morgan spoke up.

"Coroner estimated time of death for the children at about midnight, while the parents were at about 2 a.m."

"Any enemies? Maybe former employees of the fathers or ex-boyfriends of the mother's?" JJ asked.

"I, for once, am absolutely stumped. I couldn't find anything negative about these families. It's like they're straight out of the 50's or something. They're perfect families, the kids have great attendance records, and the mothers always had dinner on the table by the time dad got home."

"Jealousy as a motive? Maybe even anger that these families have something the unsub doesn't?" Reid suggested.

Hotch looked up. "Morgan and Prentiss, I want you two at the first scene. Rossi and I will take the second. Reid, you're going to the police station with JJ to work out a geographic profile and find out what you can about the families that Garcia hasn't been able to find out. Wheels up in 20."

He opened his mouth to protest, but sighed. He had promised Hotch that he'd stay out of the field, and he didn't mind spending his time with JJ, but at the police station he felt useless.

JJ rubbed his back. "Need a ride?"

He nodded, picking up his satchel. After stopping at his desk to grab his go-bag, they went to JJ's car and drove to the airstrip.

* * *

Once they were on the plane, Spencer took the seat beside JJ on the couch and looked through the case file. He'd looked at these for years and never had it affect him, but all of a sudden, he was overcome with emotion. It broke his heart to see little children, laid in their bed and unresponsive.

"How do we do it, Jayje?"

"Do what?"

"Keep doing this job with a kid to worry about? How do we not let it get to us and keep doing it?"

She rubbed his back. "I don't know how you'll do it but for me? It's about putting these guys away and knowing that they could never possibly hurt Henry. I need to be able to give their families, or what's left of them, peace of mind with what happened and let them know that the person that affected them won't be able to anymore."

He sighed, chewing on his lip.

"You just need to get past the images and think about saving other children from the monsters on the streets," he heard Hotch say. "You need to remember that you may not be able to save everyone, but you are preventing other people getting hurt by seeing these images and investigating these crimes."

He nodded, running his hand over his belly.

"Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "Just been nauseous lately, and the images aren't really helping."

JJ looked through her bag, taking out crackers and a bottle of ginger ale. "Trust me, they're a blessing."

He mumbled a quick thank you and took a sip of his soda.

* * *

"So, let's get your mind off this. Any ideas on the birth plan yet?"

Rossi put his hands up. "I'm out of here," he said, shifting out of his seat and moving over near Hotch.

"I've actually read up on several methods for before the scheduled cesarean, you know, in the hospital room, and I landed on one particular one that seems to be pretty helpful."

"Oh?"

"Well there's this thing called the LeBoyer Method. It's usually for the delivery room, but it can also be used for the hospital room I'll be in before. Basically, the room is essentially silent and the lights are lowered. After the baby's born, they avoid cutting the cord until it's necessary and then they give her a warm bath to help her calm down."

She shook her head. "As great as that sounds, Spence, I can tell you that after fifteen long hours, I couldn't give a single damn about the lighting or the volume. Your plan shouldn't be so specific. You should just have the basics: who's going to be there while you wait, are you going to accept medication, will you have music played during, who will be in the room with you when she's born…"

"Well, yeah, about that."

She looked up at him.

"I was sort of hoping that, you know, you could be there. You're the closest thing I have to family out here and I'm not sure I trust anyone else enough to be there for me."

She quickly hugged him. "I'd love to be in there. Thanks for asking."

He grinned and rubbed her back. "Thanks for accepting."

* * *

Morgan looked over, raising an eyebrow. "Anyone know what that's about?"

"Childbirth and birthing plans," Rossi said, shaking his head, "made it out of there just in time."

"Anyone else realize that once he's on leave, he's done with us for good?" Prentiss asked, looking around at them. "I mean, he's going to be on leave for 4 weeks before having the baby, 6 weeks afterward, and then after that he's doing desk work. We won't have our resident genius on the case with us anymore."

They all looked around each other, overwhelmed at the thought. Sure, they knew they wouldn't be able to have Reid on cases with them once the baby was born, but it suddenly felt more imminent with him being only fifteen weeks away from delivering. They all looked genuinely upset and worried about ever working without him again.

Morgan sighed. "Then we'd better use up that big ol' brain while we can, because once he's gone, we're screwed."


	21. Stumped

When they got to the police station, after a quick introduction, they holed themselves up in a conference room.

"What's this about?" Spencer asked, setting his cup down.

"It's hard enough to get people to take you seriously with your age, it'll probably be even harder if they all see you with a baby on board," JJ said, laying the files out on the table and setting up the whiteboard.

"Thanks," he said, sitting down and pulling the folders over to him. "So, basically, we have two dead families and absolutely no leads."

"Hence why they called us in."

"So we have a maniac killing entire families, which were considered 'traditional' up until a few years ago – the children not suffering, but the parents deaths being a long and drawn out process. This could suggest something."

"What?" JJ asked, looking up.

"Wait a sec," he started, taking out his phone and calling Garcia.

"How can I help you today, baby daddy?"

"Hey, Garcia. We don't have any leads or anything yet, but I kind of have an idea to go on."

"Shoot."

"It's not going to be a short list, but any child whose families were murdered, with either the traditional family, or the traditional family plus one surviving child, within the last… 30 years."

"Consider it done," she said, hanging up.

He sighed, looking up at JJ. "Keep your fingers crossed that it leads us somewhere."

* * *

After everyone returned from the crime scenes, he looked through their notes.

"Do we have any ideas based on geographic profile?"

He looked up at the map. "All we have is the two locations, and they're within 2 miles of each other. Besides that, nothing."

"Did you find anything in the files?"

"Nothing, but I did contact Garcia to look up any families that may have been murdered or otherwise killed that fit the description of traditional, or traditional with an additional child. The unsub could've lost their family and is taking it out on these families."

Morgan looked up at them. "At the crime scene we went to, they were all tucked neatly into their beds after they'd been killed. No possessions were taken, nothing out of place, and the unsub got in and out through a window in the living room."

"So obviously the unsub had to be watching the family for some time, or at least known them," Emily started.

Spencer looked over at her. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, he knew them well enough to know that window wasn't locked, or he was able to get into the house unseen or unsuspected to unlock that one window. These families live in suburbia, they're not going to leave anything unlocked, however comfortable they are in the neighborhood."

Morgan picked up the phone calling Garcia.

"The great and wonderful Penelope Garcia at your service. How can I help you today?"

"Hey, Baby Girl. I need you to look up something for me."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"See if the two families have anyone in their lives in common: electrician, plumber, coworkers, acquaintances, absolutely anything."

"On the case, I'll get back to you when I find something."

Morgan sighed, hanging up. "And now we hope we can catch this guy before he kills again."

* * *

Spencer wasn't able to just sit around and wait. Rather, the baby wouldn't let him. He constantly had to get up and start moving around, pacing around the room. He watched his phone very carefully, checking it every few seconds in the hopes Garcia would call or send him a text. After what felt like an eternity, his phone rang.

"What do you have for me, Garcia?"

"Oh, a lot of things, but on this case?"

"You're on speaker, behave yourself. She can hear you."

"She should know better than to take me seriously. ANYWAY. Based on your search, I came up with a list of 15 people who live in the city who fit your description, which I am sending to all of your tablets as we speak. I also looked up both of the families' financials and bank records. It's a small city, so not only did they go to the same church, but they shared a grocery store, a bank, a shopping mall, and the children went to the same elementary school."

JJ sighed. "So our unsub can be pretty much anybody in this entire city."

"Thanks, Garcia," he said, "let me know if you can dig up anything else." He pressed the 'end call' button and groaned. "Son of a _bitch_."

They all looked around at each other. They hadn't heard Reid swear since the infamous practical joke war with Morgan.

"Reid, go back to the hotel and relax. You're stressing and that's not good for the baby."

"Hotch, I'm fine. I just want to catch this guy."

"You're not thinking clearly and you're too focused on hating him and not focused enough on finding him. I'll have Morgan drive you back to the hotel and pick you up in a few hours after you've rested and calmed down."

"But Hotch-"

"That's an order. Now go."

He groaned again, picking up his bag, putting it over his shoulder and walking out.

"Thanks, Hotch. Send _me_ with the kid who wants to rip somebody's head off." Morgan grabbed the key off the table and followed him out.

* * *

Unfortunately for Morgan, the drive to the hotel wasn't a quiet one.

"What is Hotch even thinking, trying to work on this case without me? I mean, come on, I came up with the potential suspect list, and now you guys are going to be able to go through it and probably catch the guy while I'm stuck at the hotel, sitting on a bed bored out of my mind. How is that even fair?"

"Because it's not just you, Pretty Boy. We've got to worry about her too," Morgan started, keeping his eyes on the road but motioning toward his bump, "and if we have you stressed out, she stresses out, and we all know the last thing you want is to be back in the hospital before she's due."

He hated when Morgan was right. He hated even more when he had to admit Morgan was right. Instead, he remained quiet for the rest of the trip.

When Morgan finally parked the car, he handed Spencer the room key.

"Sure you don't need help?"

"Taking an elevator and walking to a room? Think I can get it," he said, getting out of the SUV and putting his bag over his shoulder, "but if it suddenly turns into something too hard for me to handle, I'll let you know."


	22. Name Game

The best term he could come up with for his current misery was stir-crazy. He wasn't a prisoner (though at this point he sure felt like one), but he felt himself slowly slipping the longer he sat in the hotel room. He tried napping very unsuccessfully: due in part to being upset at his team, and his daughter showing him how well she can do somersaults and kick his bladder.

He sat up on his bed, his legs tucked underneath him, with the baby names book in his lap. If he had to sit around in the hotel room, he was going to be productive in some way. He had to have gone through this book at least twenty times already, but still couldn't find a name that perfectly fit. He outright refused to have any names that could possibly be related to a female serial killer, alleged killers, or anyone that was famously killed. Any form of Elizabeth, (thanks to Lizzie Borden and Elizabeth Bathory), Aileen (Aileen Wuornos), Amelia (Amelia Dyer), Andrea (Andrea Yates, who drowned her children), and Dahlia (the Black Dahlia) was absolutely out of the question. He tried finding something with the perfect meaning, but was coming up blank. Every time he thought he came up with something she'd enjoy, she gave a kick that he knew was a rejection.

* * *

He heard a room key in the door and someone enter the room. He clicked the highlighter in his hand and hummed.

"What's up, Reid?"

"You never realize how many names belong to horrible people until you're trying to name a baby."

Prentiss smiled. "Come again?"

"I must've gone through this book at least 50 times trying to find the perfect name for her, but every single time I land on a name I like? It belongs to someone who was famously murdered, murdered their family, killed their children, or killed somebody else. It's so incredibly hard to find a name that doesn't belong to some creep. Not to mention that the names I do like have meanings that don't seem to fit her."

"Maybe you should focus less on the meaning, and more on just picking a name that suits her."

He sighed. "But I just want it to be perfect. I don't want to pick a name then four years down the road realize I made a mistake and something else will fit her better."

She sat beside him, rubbing his back. "I'm sure whatever name you pick for her is going to suit her just fine. Just think, my mom tried naming me _Beatrice_. Can you imagine Beatrice Prentiss? Just because she liked Shakespeare."

"Well, it would've fit. Beatrice does have distant meanings of 'traveler', and with this job, you do travel an awful lot."

"Don't change the subject. The point I'm trying to make is, she found the name Emily and just knew it fit. She didn't care that-"

"It's from 'Emil' which means 'rival'?"

"Exactly. She just wanted a name that felt right, and that's what she picked. Besides, I'm pretty sure there's no name for 'child born to unwed prodigy'."

"So I just… pick something?"

"No, you don't just flip the book open, point to a page and say 'that's it'. But you need to throw away meanings and logic and just pick something that you think fits her well."

"Well, I'm sort of already set on a middle name."

"Oh?"

He set the book down and looked up at her. "My mom sacrificed a lot to raise me. I mean, she gave up her medication while she was pregnant so she'd be sure I developed correctly. She sacrificed her sanity just to be sure I'd turn out okay. So, I think what better way to thank her than giving her granddaughter her name as her middle name?" He looked back down at his lap and played with his hands. "Ridiculous, right?"

"Not at all. I think that's incredibly sweet, and your mom's going to be so touched that you put that much thought into it."

"So, um, anyway," he started, closing the book, "I'm ready to get back."

"Reid, you've been in here reading that book for 6 hours and didn't answer any of our calls. We're done for the day. We'll be back in the station tomorrow morning."

He sighed. "Oh."

"Nobody's mad. They'd rather you relax than get yourself all worked up on the case."

"You sure?"

She nodded. "Now, come on, get dressed up. JJ's taking you out to dinner."

"…So we're not going with the rest of the team?"

"According to her, 'baby mommas need a little something to feel good once in a while' so she's treating you to dinner tonight. Don't argue with her, you know it's pointless."

He nodded, swinging his legs over the side. "Emily?" he called as she made her way to the door.

She turned back. "Yeah, Reid?"

"…Thanks."

She smiled. "Take care of yourself."

* * *

After Emily had left, he checked his phone. Sure enough, there were several texts and missed calls from the team asking if he was ready to come back yet. He figured they must have assumed he was sleeping and didn't want to keep bothering him. He sent JJ a text.

_So, dinner?_

_Be ready in 15. I'll meet you at your room._

He looked through his go-bag and made his best effort to get dressed quickly. JJ had made him retire his Converse until after the baby was born, and had bought him a pair of slip-on Vans.

When he heard the knock on the door, he put his satchel on his shoulder, walked over, and opened it.

She smiled. "Looking sharp, Spence."

"Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"Like I told Prentiss. You need a night of no worries and good food. And it's my treat – are you really arguing free food?"

He thought about it for a second. "Not at all," he said, tucking the room key into his pocket, walking out, and closing the door.


	23. Heart-to-Heart

Dinner had been very quiet, and they were now taking a stroll through the park. Spencer had something he wanted to say, but didn't know how to bring it up.

"Spence?"

"Hm?"

"I asked you a question."

"Oh, right, sorry, what was it again?"

She smiled. "Something on your mind?"

He bit his lip, adjusting the scarf around his neck.

"What is it?"

"I know."

"You know?"

"I um. A few weeks ago, the day I had my anxiety attack actually, I went to your office and I was waiting outside your door, and I heard you and Garcia talking."

"You're saying that Pen and I caused it?"

"What? No. Well, sort of. I heard what she said."

She sighed. "Spence, we didn't mean to hurt you or offend you. It's just, you know Pen. She worries about you, and she knows I worry about you too."

"So you invaded my privacy by breaking into the hotel's security system and watching it the night we were in Tennessee because you care?"

"You know that's not what I meant."

He took a seat on a park bench and looked up at her. "Does anybody else know?"

She shook her head. "I made her promise to get rid of the evidence of breaking into the system, and I told her if anybody else had found out, it'd be her ass on the line and I'd pull the skeletons out of her closet."

He ran his hand over the bump, chewing on his lip. "It's not what you guys thought."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not that I want him involved and I'm scared. It's the fact that… if he doesn't remember even making the child, how is it fair for me to tell him he needs to be involved and help raise her? He has my number; he knows how to talk to me. If he remembered making her, trust me, he would've said something to me by now."

"Maybe he does and he just doesn't know how to approach you."

He looked at her incredulously. "Do you really think that? Put yourself in his shoes for a minute. If you remembered making a baby with someone, would you really just sit back and let it happen and wait for someone to say something? Hell no. You'd go right up to that guy's door and throw yourself in there, whether he wants you to or not."  
"I just worry about you, Spence. You can say you're ready all you want, but once she's out, it's going to hit you that it's a lot harder than you think."

"And, like most new parents, I'll figure it out as I go. There are plenty of parents doing it alone out there and you're not reprimanding any of them for not bothering the father."

"Those other people don't matter to me, Spence. You do."

"If I matter to you, you should trust that I'll know for myself when I won't be able to handle it and ask for help."

She sighed, taking his hand. "Fine. But if I feel like you're having trouble, we're going to talk about it again. Deal?"

"And you won't call and tell him?"

"I promise."

He sighed, running a hand over his bump. "What am I supposed to do one day, when she asks me about her father? How do you tell a little girl that her father had a drunken one night stand and she's the result of it? That you never intended to really make her, but she's the best thing you ever had?"

"You tell her that you love her very much and that it doesn't matter she only has one father, because he's the best one she could possible ask for."

He rested his head on her shoulder. "Why does everything have to be so overly complicated?"

She kissed his forehead, running her hand through his hair. "The one question I wish I had an answer to."


	24. Hard Work

The next morning when he woke up, Spencer definitely felt an improvement from the day before. He finally learned how to sleep through his daughter moving around all through the night. When he sat up in bed, he did a quick stretch and got out of bed.

"You know you snore, right, Pretty Boy?" Morgan mumbled into his pillow.

"How about you take the snoring, peeing every few hours, muscle cramps, heartburn, and swelling, and I'll take the snoring roommate?"

"Sounds pleasant, but I'll pass."

"Thought so," he said, digging through his go-bag and taking out his clothes for the day. "What time do we need to be at the station?"

"I have strict rules from Hotch that before you go, you have to eat some breakfast downstairs. So whenever you do just that."

He groaned. "Can't I just eat at the station?" he said, walking into the bathroom and closing the door.

"To quote Garcia, 'Derek Morgan, if you let our little pregnant prodigy eat stale donuts instead of him getting a good breakfast for him and my niece, I swear to god I will have all of your properties foreclosed on'. So no."

After a few attempts, he zipped up his pants and walked out. "You can't just lie to her?"

"And have her hack into the hotel's cameras, then yell at me for lying to her? No thank you."

* * *

Once Morgan had gotten ready, he put his satchel over his shoulder and took the elevator down to the lobby.

"Do you need to watch me eat, too?" he asked, putting some fruit on his plate.

"No, but I need to get my breakfast. And what's the point of two people working together eating breakfast at the same time at different tables?"

Spencer shrugged, trying to hold his cup of tea with his hand in the sling while pouring hot water in with the other.

"Here, let me get that for you," Morgan said, reaching over.

"I've got it," Spencer snapped, pulling away.

"It's obvious you don't, here, let me take that."

"I've got it!"

"Why can't you just let me help?"

"You're going to have this kettle up the side of your head if you don't back off in the next three seconds," he said, pouring the water and setting the cup down on his tray, "see? So simple even a man walking around with a bastard child inside of him can do it," he finished, walking over to a table.

Morgan took out his phone, texting Garcia.

_911 on Pretty Boy, emotional breakdown at breakfast over a tea kettle. Might want to call him later._

* * *

When they got to the station, Reid was relieved that there was work out in the field for Morgan. The last thing he wanted to do was be stuck in a room with the man who thoroughly pissed him off and put him in a bad mood for the day at only 8 in the morning.

He sat down beside JJ. "What'd I miss?"

"Luckily there haven't been any more murders, and Garcia's matching up the list of 15 you helped us get against any petty crimes that have been committed recently, so we're waiting to hear back from her."

He sighed, looking through the 15 folders. He quickly eliminated 8 of them from the pile and held up the remaining 7. "He's in here."

"What makes you say that?"

"Yesterday afternoon, Garcia mentioned that the two families shared everything, including their bank, kids' school, church, and grocery store, and that's where the unsub would've stalked them prior to attacking. Those 8 are either non-believers, or live too far away or work hours that wouldn't allow them to go to the same places."

* * *

JJ looked through the folders, then called Garcia.

"What'd the pregnant genius do now?"

"…What?"

"Got a text from Morgan this morning. Reid bit his head off at breakfast and apparently Morgan put him in a permanent bad mood."

She got up and walked away from Spencer's earshot. "He's a little snippy, but definitely not in a bad mood. Then again, I'm not the one that put him in it, and after last night-"

"What happened last night?"

"He heard us. When we were talking a few weeks ago about daddy #2. The day he had his panic attack and wound up in the hospital…?"

"You mean we caused it?"

"He's not blaming us, but he heard everything, Pen. And he's fine now. Just had to promise him we won't tell the other one."

She sighed. "Fine. Why'd you call?"

"Reid eliminated 8 of the possible suspects and we're down to 7. I just sent you the updated list so there's less for you to go through."

"That little genius is a savior. Makes everything a lot easier on my end. I'll let you know when I find something."

"Thanks, Garcia," she said, hanging up.

* * *

She walked back over to the table and sat beside Spencer.

"What's going on in that brain?"

"Way more than what should be going on," he said, straightening himself and sitting up. "Didn't you say the first house had a security camera set up?"

She nodded. "I couldn't see anything."

"Mind if I give it a shot?"

"Be my guest."

He opened up the laptop and played the footage, watching closely and hoping to get a glance at the unsub.

Unfortunately, JJ had been right and it was impossible to see the unsub on any recording – there wasn't even the slightest hint of someone who could be him. He just saw the usual people come and go: the mailman, someone from UPS, neighbors stopping by to pick up something, and the kids coming from school with their friends. He groaned, leaning back in his chair. This case was going to be a lot more confusing than they had originally thought.


	25. Case Closed

They had been in the town for over a week and another family had been murdered. They had eliminated all of the suspects they had, as they all had alibis, and had next to nothing to go on. They were there so long that Spencer had to call up his doctor and reschedule his latest appointment. His doctor wasn't too thrilled, as he was entering his third trimester soon, and wanted to see him soon after he got back home.

On their eleventh day in the city, Spencer was reviewing the security footage from the home for the twentieth time that day. They'd also been able to obtain security footage from a neighboring house of the second scene, and some from the new scene. He watched them all, side by side, hoping to find a link between the three.

"Spence, give it up. We must've gone through all of this at least fifty times in the last week and a half. If we haven't found something yet, we won't."

He put his finger up, and froze the frame on each of the security cameras.

"Who in the neighborhood knows it better than everyone?"

"What?"

"Who in your neighborhood knows everyone, and is aware of everything going on with the families, if they're friendly enough to share the information, as they would be in this kind of setting?"

JJ thought for a second. "I guess our mailman? He's always trying to talk to everyone, start small talk to make his day a little more tolerable."

He motioned her over to the laptop. "Look at this. The mailman stops at every single house, every single day, right? Well, the day after the family was murdered? He didn't stop by. Even though their bodies weren't found until well after the time of his usual route."

JJ took out her phone, calling Garcia and putting her on speaker.

"BAU's personal fountain of knowledge, how can I help you?"

"Garcia, I need you to give me all you can on the mailman in this neighborhood," Spencer said, running a hand over his bump and groaning.

"That doesn't sound good, prodigy."

"Spence?"

He shook his head. "Your niece is just using my organs as her personal kicking space. The bladder's her favorite." He pushed himself out of the chair and sprinted for the bathroom.

JJ smiled. "Can you get that for me, Garcia?"

"A.S.A.P. Garcia out!" she said, pressing the button on her phone to end the call.

* * *

He walked back, sitting beside JJ. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be, it happens."

"Garcia looking that up?"

She nodded. "Don't you have to go to the doctor today?"

He sighed. "Yeah, supposed to go to a specialist here and see if I can get this thing off," he said, lifting up his arm in the sling. "But if I'm needed here I can wait on it."

"What time's your appointment?"

"Not until 3."

"Well, if we find out it is this guy and they can get out there to find him before 3, I'll take you."

"Fine."

* * *

Less than an hour later, Garcia called them back and they saw a notification on their tablets.

"Garcia, please tell me you have something?"

"Dr. Baby Daddy, I'm shocked that you would even suggest I would call you empty-handed."

"What've you got, Garcia?" JJ asked, putting the phone on speaker.

"Our mailman might just be who you're looking for. His name's Jason Quinn, he's 47 years old. Growing up, he had a stay at home mother, his father worked long hours, his older brother had a football scholarship waiting for him, his little sister was a star gymnast, and he was quite the underachiever. They were all killed the one night Jason happened to be at a sleepover with his friend."

"Quite the coincidence…" Rossi said.

"He was raised by his aunt and uncle, both of which were accused of abuse but never charged. He had several marks on his record when he was in his late teens and early 20's, but seemed to be on track until his aunt and uncle died, her six months ago, him last month."

"And we have our stresser."

"Garcia, where can we find him?" Hotch asked.

They heard typing. "His address was forwarded to your tablets, but he's currently on his route which I am sending… now."

"Thanks, Baby Girl," Morgan said, hanging up the phone. He and Prentiss took one car while Rossi and Hotch took the other, leaving Spencer and JJ at the police station.

"Job well done, Spence," she said, rubbing his back.

He smiled slightly. "Glad I could help."

* * *

They'd been able to capture the unsub and bring him into the station, and getting a confession out of him was all too easy. Having wrapped up the case, they all couldn't wait to get back home – but first, JJ had to take Spencer to his appointment.

"Jayje, I could've made an appointment when I got home to see a specialist; I didn't need to see someone right away."

"That sling is making you miserable, Spence. I'm not going to let you stay miserable on top of feeling exhausted carrying around that baby."

He looked through another magazine in the waiting room, bored out of his mind. When his name had finally been called, JJ followed him to his room.

"I could've done this alone."

"Well as your big sister, I'm not going to let you. You may insist on raising that little girl alone, but I'm going to join you on anything I can."

"I'm gonna have to unbutton my shirt for him to check the wound and I really don't feel comfortable with you seeing me that way-"

"You do realize you invited me to be in the delivery room, right? I'm going to see your stomach sliced open and the baby get ripped out of you. And you're saying I can't see you shirtless in a doctor's office?"

He opened his mouth to argue, but sighed. "Fine, but no pictures. Last thing I need is Garcia putting that sort of picture in a baby book."

She smiled. "It's a deal."

* * *

When the doctor arrived, he took off the sling and removed his bandages, looking at the wound. He removed the stitches one-by-one, causing Spencer to wince and squeeze JJ's hand.

"This is nothing compared to labor, Spence."

"Well, in labor I can get an epidural, and it's going to feel fantastic."

"You, an epidural?"

"Well, I weighed the risks, and to be honest, it's worth the possible weak muscles, fluid retention, and fever if it means I'm having her and can still experience the whole thing without being knocked out."

She squeezed his hand back. "You'll thank yourself for that later."

The doctor had him go through some exercises, moving his arm around and trying to use it as he used to. Despite a few difficulties, the doctor cleared him to start walking around without the sling on his arm – he just wasn't allowed to put too much weight on the arm right away.

* * *

After the doctor had left, they met the rest of the team at the airstrip. He walked onto the jet, sitting on the couch, JJ taking the seat across from him.

Emily peeked around at them. "No sling?"

He smiled shaking his head and putting his arm up. "No sling. The wound is scarring and looks disgusting, but I can finally start using my arm again."

"But, fair warning, Garcia's banned us from allowing you to carry anything too heavy. She read up on pregnancies too, and she told all of us if you're carrying too much weight, she's going to hit us for allowing it to happen."

"She did not."

"Even threatened Hotch and Rossi."

* * *

He shook his head, taking the baby names book and highlighter out of his bag. When JJ tried to peek over at any highlighted names, he slammed the book shut.

"What are you doing?"

"Come on, I don't even get to see the possibilities?"

"Not a chance, you need to be surprised like everyone else."

Emily raised her hand. "I'd just like to note I already know half the name."

JJ gasped, faking insult. "Emily knows and I don't?!"

He shrugged. "She got it out of me."

"Come on, Prentiss!"

"Sorry, sworn to secrecy."

She shot a look to Spencer, who could only smile. "You'll see in 13 weeks," he said, opening the book back up and reading through. He clicked the highlighter a few times, then mumbled to himself, seeing what would sound right to him. He finally grabbed a Post-It from his bag, wrote down the name, and put it in the cover of the book. One more thing he can cross of his list.


	26. One Last Trip

That next Monday, Spencer had gone to his doctor and got clearance to fly with the team – but his next trip would in fact be his last, as she didn't want him too far from home when it came time for him to have the baby. He was also told that he'd have to visit every couple weeks now, as he was now in the third trimester. After the appointment, he grabbed his doctor's note and files, made an appointment, and went straight to work.

On his way in, he picked up his usual green tea at the coffee shop, and did his best to ignore the strange looks and comments from the passersby. When he got to work, he met up with Prentiss in the elevator.

"Hey, Reid. How'd the appointment go today?"

He shrugged, adjusting his glasses. "As expected. Made the birthing plan final, saw the baby, got the usual 'take your medicine' and 'be careful' routine, and I got clearance to fly with you guys on the next case."

"Still? I thought you couldn't fly in the final trimester?"

He sighed. "You're not supposed to. Which is why this is going to be my last time traveling with the team."

She was left speechless. She didn't know if she was supposed to comfort him, try to make him laugh, or just let it roll off. She wasn't sure how he was taking it, and didn't want to make it worse by doing the wrong thing.

* * *

When the elevator opened, he stayed silent and walked over to his desk in the bullpen, setting down his bag.

"What, no baby names book?" Morgan commented, looking at his bag.

Spencer shook his head. "Already chose one."

"Do my ears deceive me?!" he heard Garcia shriek. He immediately regretted his decision to reveal that information. "Little Miss Genius finally has a name? Come on, 187, please."

"Sorry, Garcia, you'll have to see in 12 weeks, just like everyone else."

"Not even a hint?"

"Fine, a hint. It's a name that's going to belong to my daughter… and your niece."

"Someone's getting a little cocky," Morgan noted, sitting on his desk.

Emily walked over to her desk, setting down her coffee. Spencer already seemed to be in a better mood than he was in the elevator, so decided not to change it by prodding him on the subject.

* * *

Hotch walked over to them. "Round table in 10."

Morgan sighed. "Do we ever get a break? We just spent 11 days in Iowa. I'd like to actually see Clooney for more than a weekend."

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Poor Derek doesn't see his dog enough, big deal. I'll have nothing but weekends soon enough. You have nothing to be complaining about." He picked up his bag and walked to the conference room.

Morgan looked around. "Anyone have any clue what I said wrong?"

"Mood swing?" Garcia suggested.

Emily sighed. "His doctor told him this morning that this case is the last he'll be able to fly out for – after that, he's on strict orders to stay in Quantico in case something happens. It's probably the last time he's ever going out on a case with us; I can see why he's upset."

They all looked at each other, realizing that Spencer leaving was coming a lot sooner than they'd wanted.

"Then we'd better make this case count for Pretty Boy," Morgan said, picking up his coffee and walking to the conference room.

* * *

"Reid, do you have your doctor's note?" Hotch asked.

He chewed on his lip and nodded, grabbing the folder out of his bag and handing it to his superior. Hotch flipped it open, scanned the note, and set it back on the table. The last thing he wanted to do was bring up the subject and upset one of his best agents right before a briefing.

Garcia walked in, setting the files on the table and picking up the remote, turning on the screen.

"We're headed to Maine. Three young girls have been kidnapped within the last 72 hours, all of them with blonde hair and brown eyes. The first disappeared after cheerleading practice on the first day, the second after soccer practice on the second day, and the third after swimming practice on the third day."

"All high school girls, all athletic," Rossi commented.

"Unfortunately, they were taken away from school grounds so there's no security footage we can use to catch the unsub. The media's already gotten a hold of the story, but they don't have all of our details _yet_ so hopefully it stays that way."

"Do any of them live relatively close to each other or travel in the same social circles?" Spencer asked, looking at the screen.

She shook her head. "Besides the looks, you couldn't have three completely different people."

"Did the parents report them missing?" Morgan asked.

"All three sets of parents reported them missing when they weren't home for dinner that night and there have been several attempts to find them via search parties."

* * *

Hotch was the first to get up. "Wheels up in 30. Reid, stay for a minute," he finished, as he saw Reid trying to slip out the door first.

After everyone had left, Spencer looked up at him.

"According to your doctor, this is going to be your last case traveling with the team?"

He silently nodded.

"And she wants you on leave after this case?"

He shook his head. "The second part of the note states that I can work as long as I'm allowed by my superiors."

"You're not going to let this case being your last affect how you're going to work, are you?"

"Of course not."

"I talked to Section Chief Strauss. She told me that after your final case, you can continue working in with Garcia, but when it becomes too much, you're going to be put on leave until the baby's eight weeks old. Then when you return, you can continue to work with her or at your desk, daily, but still be able to spend the time you need at home with your daughter."

"So I can still work on cases?"

"You can, just not with traveling, is that clear?"

He sighed, but nodded.

"And I know you're not going to be a fan of this, and it's not my place to intrude. Seeing as you live alone, if you're still pregnant at 36 weeks, I'm going to see if members of the team will volunteer to stay with you-" Reid opened his mouth to argue, "just for the night on your couch so if something happens, you're not fending for yourself."

"That sounds… fair. If anyone will even do it."

"I've already got JJ and Garcia on board."

"Unsurprising."

"And Prentiss and Morgan are on board to help as much as they can."

"Great. It'll be like a giant slumber party every night."

Hotch gave a rare smile. "Come on, I'll give you a ride to the airstrip."


	27. Plane Ride

While on the plane, everyone seemed to look at Reid, but not really acknowledge he was there. He thought nothing of it, and kind of enjoyed the silence. He laid on his side on the couch, one hand holding open the book he was reading while the other was rested on his bump.

JJ finally got out of her seat and walked over, sitting on the arm of the couch. She leaned over, looking at the cover of the book.

"Rapunzel by The Brothers Grimm? Not your usual reading material."

He shook his head. "It's not for me."

"You read to her?"

"Ever since she started kicking, actually. Rapunzel seems to be her favorite."

"Not even born yet and she has a favorite book? That baby is definitely a Reid."

He smiled slightly, closing the book and sitting up. He took out a pair of headphones, put them over his bump, and pressed play on his iPod.

"What's that for?"

"Getting her down for a nap so the adults can talk."

"…What are we going to talk about?"

"Are they going to stop avoiding me like the plague?"

"They're not."

He looked at her. "Usually by now, Morgan's made a sarcastic comment about the baby, which leads Hotch to snap at Morgan, which leads to Rossi making some sort of comment, not to mention Garcia hasn't checked in and Emily hasn't even looked in my general direction."

"I guess, much like you and I, they're scared."

"Scared?"

"This is your last case travelling with us, Spence, until God knows when. Yeah, you'll be working in the office on the cases, but we won't be able to call upon that great big genius brain of knowledge like we do now. And they're probably all going to miss you out here with us _almost_ as much as I will."

He bit his lip, taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes. "I guess I didn't think of that," he sighed, sniffling. "Everything's just going to change so fast and I don't know if I'm ready for it. God damnit, why am I crying right now?"

"Welcome to mood swings," she said, grabbing a box of tissues and handing it to him, "it's all going to be okay. We'll figure it all out."

"How? The team's acting like I'm gone when I'm _still_ here. They keep talking amongst themselves and not even looking in my general direction."

She reached over, rubbing his back. "Do you need your big sister to go yell at the big kids for being mean to you?"

He smiled slightly, wiping his eyes.

"Gotcha," she said with a wink, "I'll talk to them later, but I won't say you got so upset, I promise."

He took a deep breath and exhaled. "I had to promise Hotch I wouldn't let this being my last case affect how I work."

"Then I won't let you."

He leaned over, wrapping his arms around her. "Don't know where I'd be without you, Jayje."

* * *

Meanwhile, over at the table, Prentiss looked over at Morgan. "You're going to miss him."

"What?"

She smiled. "You're totally going to miss having Reid around on the cases. Face it, you enjoy having the big brother role and pushing his buttons, but you're also going to miss having someone you feel obligated to protect."

"I don't know, it's just hard to think about."

"Why?"

" I'm more worried about him than us. He's going to be home alone with that baby with no way to get in touch with any of us if he needs something. The kid's got no family to depend on back home, and the only family he does have is JJ, who's going to be with us most of the time. I have to respect him for doing it by himself but at the same time, I have to feel sorry for him."

She turned her back to see JJ comforting him. "He's definitely going to be in for a shock. Maybe we should talk to Garcia, see if we can maybe find the father and talk some sense into him. This guy's half responsible; the least he could do is help Reid so he doesn't have to give up the aspect of the job he loves to take care of her. Parenting does come with sacrifices, but come on, he has to give up _everything_."

"I already tried. She said it's an invasion of his privacy and it's none of our business."

"So we're just going to let Reid give up everything he loves?"

"Priorities change, Emily. His priorities are going to be that baby and nothing else. He's got guts, but you can't help but feel sorry for him."

Hotch walked over, taking his seat beside Morgan. "Focus on the case. We'll worry about this later."


	28. Maine

When they arrived in Maine, JJ and Spencer drove right to the police station, while Hotch and Rossi went to the high school and Prentiss and Morgan went to visit the parents.

"How do you do it? Sit back and do all this while they're out in the field actually getting something done?" he asked, pinpointing the abduction locations on the map best he could without any leads.

"You just have to remember what you do here gives them everything they need to go out there and catch the guy. Think about our last case – nobody else on the team would've thought to accuse the mailman. Thanks to your quick thinking, we were able to find out it was him and arrest him before another family got murdered."

He sighed. "Here's hoping I can still get those kinds of results being stuck at my desk in Quantico," he said, sitting in a chair and putting his feet up.

* * *

After the team made it back to the station, they'd had almost as little as they started with. None of the girls had any enemies, nor did their parents.

"They were all straight A student athletes that were looked up to by the entire student body," Hotch said.

"And after talking to the families, they're pretty cookie cutter. Very simple people, keep to themselves, and they'd rather talk out a problem than have any sort of conflict," Prentiss added.

Spencer chewed on his lip. "And their teachers, did they have any in common?" he inquired, looking through their schedules. He scanned them, then called Garcia."

"Almighty fountain of knowledge, how can I help you today?"

"Hey, Garcia, I need you to look up a few people for me, pull up all the records you can find."

"Fingers at the ready."

He continued to list off the 10 teachers the girls had in common over the last four years.

"It'll be a while, but never fear, I'll have those results to you ASAP," she said, ending the call.

* * *

He looked around the room at his fellow agents. "Have there been any bodies found recently?"

Morgan shook his head. "There hasn't been a body found around this city in at least 20 years."

"That's a good sign, isn't it?"

"Come again?"

"Well, a lot of times, kidnappers get sick of their original targets or they misbehave by their standards, and they're killed, then they abduct a new victim to replace them. If the unsub hasn't dumped any bodies recently, that could just mean he's keeping the girls."

* * *

Several hours had passed and Garcia had yet to get back to them with the results. The exhaustion of the day was showing on the rest of their faces, but Spencer was definitely hit worst. He yawned, shifting uncomfortable in his seat, pulling off his glasses, and rubbing his eyes.

"I'll call Garcia, have her send us the results in the morning. Everyone get something to eat and get some rest. Especially you, Reid."

He looked over at Hotch. "What are you talking about, I'm f-" he was hit by another yawn. _Damnit_.

"I'm sure you are. Put in your dinner order, then get back to the hotel and get some sleep."

"But Hotch-"

"That's an order."

He sighed, grabbing his bag and getting up. "Jayje, can I get a ride back?"

"No problem. Now come on, it's way past little Reid's bedtime."


	29. Dog House

This time around, Morgan had asked if he could room with Prentiss instead of Spencer, so JJ could be in with him in case anything happened. He was grateful for the courtesy, but he was also slightly insulted that Morgan didn't want to be around him this time – especially considering the fact that this could be the last time they were travelling together. He sat up in his bed, several pillows behind him. JJ walked into the room, holding up a bag.

* * *

"Dinner is served. It's no prime rib, but it'll have to do."

"Thanks, Jayje, but I could've gone with you to get it."

"And had Hotch on my ass for not having you relaxing in the room? No thank you." She reached in the bag, handing him his tray. "No mayo, extra pickles, apples next to the french fries. The woman at the restaurant asked how far along I was."

He smiled. "Sorry?"

She shrugged, setting their drinks on the nightstand and sitting on her own bed. "Anything good on TV?"

"Well, you can watch news coverage of the kidnappings, news coverage of the kidnappings, news coverage of the kidnappings… or some show called 'Friends'."

She grabbed the remote from the nightstand, tuning it to the channel. He raised his eyebrow.

"What? I can't enjoy a little Chandler Bing at the end of a stressful day?"

He shrugged, biting into his sandwich. "Does this 'Friends' thing have anything to do with that 'Twilight' thing we discussed a few years back?"

She smiled, shaking her head. "So smart, yet so naïve."

* * *

Meanwhile, Morgan had a lot of explaining to do to Garcia.

"What were you thinking?!"

"Pretty Boy's 28 weeks pregnant, I thought he'd want to room with someone who's been there before instead of me."

"Derek Morgan, I love you, but you are one of the most insensitive men I've ever met."

"What'd I do?!"

"He's hormonal and really needs his friends right now, yes, that includes you. He doesn't need the people he cares about suddenly dodging being around him just because he's got that big ol' belly."

"It's just a room assignment. It's not like I exiled him."

"You may as well have. This case was supposed to go as usual, so he could go out enjoying his job and feeling like he mattered. But, oh no, the mighty Derek Morgan couldn't share his room with his pregnant coworker for one night, so now he's going to feel insecure and that you don't care about him. What he needs right now is his annoying, pain in the ass big brother as support and that's the complete opposite of what you're being!"

"So tell me what I'm supposed to do here, almighty one."

"Nuh uh. You broke it. You fix it."

"But Garcia!"

"But nothing."

"Come on, I don't know the first thing about this. Not even a hint?"

"Nope, I have important things to get to, and believe it or not, you're not high on that list."

"Ouch!"

"Truth hurts. Garcia, out!"

"But wai-"

It was too late – she'd already hung up on him. His last intention in the world had been to hurt Reid by having him room with JJ. In fact, he thought he'd prefer it, considering how close he and JJ had gotten over the last few months. All he knew right now is that he messed up big time, and not only was he in the dog house with Garcia, but he'd also hurt one of the people he cares for most on his team.

* * *

Spencer had a very restless night sleep – every time he thought he was finally comfortable, his daughter decided she didn't like his current position. The only positive thing he could think of was the fact that he hadn't woken up JJ or kept her up with his constant tossing and turning. The last thing he needed was to feel guilty on top of exhausted.

* * *

When he heard a knock on the door, he was confused – the team usually texted or called each other if they wanted to meet up, and neither of them had ordered a wake-up call or room service. JJ moved her head from under her pillow, checking the clock.

"Whoever it is, tell them that 7:00 is too early for us."

"I never would've pictured you as someone who isn't a morning person. At your house-"

"I was in my own bed, with my fiance, with my alarm clock that woke me up after a nice 8 hours of sleep."

He smiled. "No wonder you and Prentiss are always running late," he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and looking through the peephole. He raised his eyebrow and opened the door.

"Morgan?"

"Derek Morgan, it is far too early for that stupid grin on your face."

"Hello to you too, Little Miss Sunshine."

JJ groaned, putting the pillow back over her head. Spencer was pretty sure he heard a few expletives slip from her mouth in the process.

* * *

"What's this about?" Spencer asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"You awake?"

"Well, I'm standing here, so obviously."

"Get ready; I'm taking you to breakfast."

"Excuse me?"

"Get yourself dressed, get your stuff together, and then we're going out to breakfast. Bring your bag – we'll go to the station afterward."

"You mean _you_ want to be seen with _me_?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Derek Morgan, world famous womanizer, wants to be seen with a pregnant man?"

"Okay, first off, I'm not a womanizer."

"HA!" he heard JJ from her bed.

"That's enough from you, Suzie Sunshine."

"The point, Derek?" Spencer asked.

"The point is that this is your last case with the team before you have that kid, and I'm taking you out to celebrate. If you don't want to go and want to settle for a continental breakfast in the lobby-"

"Oh no, that's not it, trust me. It's the fact that people are going to look. And they're going to talk. About you being there with me."

"The hell with them," he started. "I'm not going to care about what they think, and you shouldn't either. Now are you coming or not?"

Spencer sighed. "I'll be ready in ten." He held the door open. "You can wait in the chair, but for the love of God, don't talk to JJ."

"I heard that!"

* * *

Spencer gathered up his clothes and walked to the bathroom, locking the door. Since he had been out of his sling, getting dressed was a whole lot easier. What was still difficult, however, was zipping his pants and putting on socks. Those seemed to be tasks of Olympic proportions. After quite the struggle (and a few knocks on the door from Morgan checking on him), he'd finally managed to get fully dressed, slip on his shoes, and walk out.

"Ready to go, Pretty Boy?"

He nodded, putting his bag over his shoulder and tucking the room key in his pocket. "Jayje, if you need anything…"

Her hand stuck out from under the pillow, waving goodbye.


	30. Big Brother

Morgan had found a nice little diner not too far from the hotel, so they decided to walk. After ordering their food, Spencer realized how much of a spectacle they really must be: a pregnant beanpole like him out with another man. He constantly looked around, hoping he wouldn't meet the eyes of people who were staring at them.

"You okay, Pretty Boy?"

He nodded, looking around. "Fine, why?"

"This is the fifth time you've looked around the room in the past five minutes."

"Actually, it's only the fourth."

"Caught you."

Spencer groaned, looking down at the table.

"You want to tell me what's up?"

"Growing up, I was always sticking out like a sore thumb, whether it was in class or the simple fact that I was several years younger than the rest of my classmates. I was hoping now that I'm an adult and people were taking me seriously at my job, it'd stop. But since this happened," he said, looking down at his bump, "the looks and stares have only gotten worse."

"Are you embarrassed that you're having a baby?"

"No, not at all."

"Then what does it matter what they think?"

Spencer just shrugged, sipping his tea.

* * *

Morgan turned around as he heard the people behind him murmuring under their breath.

"Can I help you?" The women at the table were speechless as he looked at them. "If you have a problem with this, go on, speak up. The last I checked, two co-workers were allowed to go out to breakfast without feeling like they were being talked about constantly."

"But he's-" one of them started.

"A prodigy? The brightest person who will ever grace your presence? One of the nicest people you'll ever meet? Stop me when I'm getting warm."

"Pregnant," the other finished. Spencer wished he could sink down in his seat and slide out the front door without being seen.

"And what concern is that of yours? Last I checked, it's a free country, and if a guy's capable, he can have a baby. Just because he's a man doesn't make him any less of a parent. Were I a father, I'd trust him to raise my kid more than I'd trust anybody else."

Spencer didn't know what to say. He'd heard of Morgan protecting him before, but he'd never expected this.

"Now, if you don't mind, we're going back to our conversation, and if you have a problem with our presence, I'm pretty sure your waitress would have no problem bringing you your check and getting your ignorant self out of this restaurant." He turned back to Spencer. "Chin up, Pretty Boy."

Spencer smiled slightly, sitting up straight. "I've never had that before."

"Had what?"

"…Somebody stick up for me like that."

"Well, it's about time somebody did."

* * *

Once the food arrived, they were able to keep up some small talk, though Morgan had to take a break when he saw Spencer put maple syrup on his scrambled eggs.

"Kid, you know I care about you, but that looks disgusting."

"What? The baby has weird cravings. Yesterday it was apple slices with my french fries."

"She's going to be one of those kids, isn't she? The one that brings a ketchup packet with her in her school lunch so she can put it on her peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

"One, that sounds absolutely disgusting even to me. And two? She can have whatever she wants for lunch."

"Is it weird?"

"Is what weird?" he asked, picking up his syrup covered eggs with his fork and taking a bite.

"That in what, 12 weeks, you're going to have someone who depends on you for everything?"

He set his fork down. "Well, yeah. I'm ready for my life to change, I just don't think I'm ready for how _much_. I can say goodbye to sleep, work as I know it, and the extra hours of reading a few books before bed."

"Do you regret it?"

"What?"

"The drunken one night stand?"

"Surprisingly, not for a single second. Because of that one night of alcohol and interesting choices, I have her. He may not remember making her, but I do, and I wouldn't trade having her for anything in the world. Even though I'm completely scared out of my mind, I can't imagine if she wasn't going to be here. She's not even here yet and my life is already all about her."

"So she's a little daddy's girl?"

"So much. Every morning, she gets an hour of classical music, and Beethoven's her current favorite. Then every night before bed, I read to her. I've picked up all the fairy tale books I could find at the local bookstore and she loves them."

"Damn, you're really prepared, aren't you?"

"Sort of. I have everything I need material-wise. I'm just missing one thing. Well, two if we're getting technical."

"What's that?"

"Real world experience with a baby, and, well, her father."

"This guy really hasn't contacted you since that night? His biggest mistake in life is not checking in with you afterward, because I'm willing to bet you're the best thing that ever happened to him."

He shrugged. "Like I've said before. He doesn't even remember making her, so I don't think it's very fair to go to him and make him be a parent. It's not very fair to him-"

"Fair to _him?_ Pretty Boy, do you not realize that you've sacrificed everything for this baby? Your body, your job, your life – this bastard can sure as hell at least give you financial support for her."

"Well, it's going to be tight for the first few months since I won't be working, and I have to keep paying for my mom to stay at Bennington. Not to mention that after I start working, I'm going to have to find a day care center which isn't too cheap either, but I'll figure it out. I have some savings put away for emergencies, so I could just tap into that if it's necessary."

"You shouldn't have to drain your savings to raise your daughter."

"But that's just it, Derek. She's my daughter. I'm responsible for her existing, so I'm responsible for taking care of her. If money has to be tight for a while, so be it."

"You really won't let me find this guy and tell him?"

Spencer bit his lip. "Fine, I'll let you know who it is, but you have to swear not to go around telling people."

"You know I wouldn't do that."

He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Derek, her father-"

Just then, Morgan's cell phone went off – it was his ring for Hotch. Spencer had never been such a combination of relieved and aggravated. He answered and talked with Hotch for a minute, then hung up.

"Sorry to cut this short, Pretty Boy, but we have to get to the station. Talk about this later?"

Spencer shook his head. "It's not important," he said, putting his bag on his shoulder and getting up.

He looked up and saw Morgan's face. "Not important? This is the father of your child."

"Really, it doesn't matter. Another time."

Before he could argue back with him, Spencer was out the door. He went to the counter, paid for the check, and caught up to him as he was getting into the SUV.


	31. Cassandra

When they arrived at the station, Spencer sat down at the table.

"What's up, Hotch?" Morgan asked.

"The first girl who was kidnapped? She was found late last night wandering down Main Street."

"Is she okay?"

"She's at the hospital now getting checked over. No signs of assault. JJ, I want you to go and talk to her, see what she remembers."

"Actually, Hotch, I was wondering if maybe, I could?"

Everyone turned to look at Spencer. None of them could recall the last time he willingly wanted to talk to somebody.

"Reid, no offense to you, but this unsub was probably a male, and the last thing she'll want is a male trying to get information from her."

"I'll bring JJ with me, and if she seems the least bit uncomfortable, I'll stop and have her take over."

Hotch looked over at JJ. "Is this okay with you?" She nodded. "Fine, Reid, you can go, but be very careful."

"I know, she might not want to talk to me."

"That too – in case you've forgotten, you're pregnant and can't handle a situation that's overly stressful."

"I promise. Any signs of stress on either of our ends and I'll stop."

"Go ahead."

JJ grabbed the keys off the table. "Ready?"

He nodded, getting up and following her outside.

After they got to the hospital and flashed their credentials, they were waiting outside of her room.

"Remember, don't jump right into the questions – try small talk and doing an introduction on yourself first, so she'll be comfortable with you. Don't jump right into who did it or where she was either, because then she'll panic. Keep your voice low, and don't get excited over any of her answers. If she shows the slightest sign of worrying, you can see if she'd be more comfortable with either me in the room or you leaving. Don't take it as an insult if she doesn't want to talk to you – I'm sure you understand."

"Having been kidnapped before, yeah, I think I can get it."

"Right, sorry."

"Jayje, don't worry. I can handle it."

"Just keep your stress level down? I know we're in a hospital but the last thing we need is for you to go from visitor to patient." She rested a hand on his bump. "And you stay calm too, you hear me?"

As if on cue, she responded with a kick. Spencer smiled, resting his hand on JJ's, then walking into the room.

* * *

He walked over, taking the seat beside her bed. Her back was turned to him and she was staring out the window.

"Cassandra?" he asked softly. Her only response was a nod. He took a deep breath. "Cassandra, my name's Spencer, I work for the FBI in the Behavioral Analysis Unit. I was wondering if I could talk to you."

She slowly turned around to face him, her eyes going directly to his bump, then back up to him.

"That's my daughter, she's due in 12 weeks. I know that a bad person took you, and I want to make it right. I'm going to be a dad, and I can't even fathom someone hurting my girl, and I can't even begin to pretend I know what your parents are going through with this," he felt himself veering from the topic and jumped back on track, "but I can tell you I've been there before."

"You have?" she whispered.

He shifted in his seat. "About five years ago, when I was on a case, I was taken. I've been there before. I know how scary it is, and I know how badly you want to be rescued from the situation. You got lucky and he let you go, but he still has those other two girls. You and I both know how they're feeling: they're scared, and they're alone, and they just want to go home. If you can talk to me, I can help find the guy that did this, get them home, and be sure that he never tries to hurt another girl again." He reached out, and took her hand. "You don't have to tell me everything, but I wanted to know if you could just answer a few questions, maybe help me figure out how to find this person?"

Another nod.

"The day you were taken, did he-"

"She," she corrected.

"She, sorry. Did she say anything?"

She shook her head.

"Did she pick you up off the street? Did she have a weapon of some sort or did she threaten you in any way?"

She looked up at Spencer, tears in her eyes. "She put her hand over my mouth, and I felt a knife on my back. She told me to get in the van or she'd kill my mom and dad. They told me to never let a stranger scare me, but… she was going to hurt them."

He rubbed her hand with his thumb. "It's okay, it's not your fault. You're safe now." He looked out in the hallway, then back at her. "Did you see the color of the van?"

She shook her head again.

"Do you know where she took you?"

She was shaking as she spoke. "She put a blindfold on me once I was in the back of the van, and didn't take it off until I was in the basement."

"What makes you think it was a basement?"

"It was cold, and dark. And we could always hear footsteps above us."

"We? So you were with the other girls?"

She nodded.

"Did she say anything about the other girls?"

She shook her head.

"Did she say anything to any of you?"

"One night, she just kept saying… 'I have her back'."

"Was this about all three of you?"

She nodded. "And the day she let me go, she put on the blindfold again. I never saw her. I tried to get them out with me, but I couldn't." At this point, her voice was shaky to match the rest of her, and she'd started crying.

JJ looked in the window, ready to run in. Spencer shook his head, reaching over and rubbing her back. "It's okay, you did a great job. You helped so much."

She rested her head on his shoulder, crying for a few minutes until she finally calmed down. "I'm sorry."

He looked her in the eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You did amazing and I promise you, I will find this person and I will be sure they never do this to anybody else."

She bit her lip, sniffing. "Promise me you'll let me know when you've caught her?"

"I promise."

* * *

Once Cassandra had fallen asleep, Spencer slipped out of the room.

"How'd it go?" JJ asked.

"She cried herself to sleep, but other than that, I think she'll be okay."

"You did a great job in there, Spence."

He shrugged. "I just related to her, that's all."

"Sometimes, that's all it takes."

* * *

He took out his phone, calling Hotch.

"What'd you find out, Reid?"

"We're all wrong on this unsub, Hotch."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's not a male unsub, we're looking for a female with a van and a house with a basement or access to a basement."

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"Great work, Reid. You and JJ, come right back to the station, we'll figure it all out."

* * *

"What'd you find out, Reid?" Hotch asked when they walked into the conference room.

"We're going off the assumption that the unsub is male, but she told me that it's a female, and the only thing she ever said around the three of them was 'I have her back'."

"She never specified who the 'her' was?" Rossi asked.

He shook his head. "She just kept them in a basement and didn't really check in on them."

"JJ, did you gather anything different?"

"I didn't need to go in. He handled it all."

Just then, his phone started ringing. He took it out, checked it, and put it on speaker.

"Garcia, what do you have for me?"

"Well, Boy Wonder, I did what you asked and searched for any teachers the three girls had in common in the last four years and came up with nothing suspicious."

He sighed.

"Hey, hey, no negativity. I did dig deeper and find out that they went to the same elementary school, so I looked through those results and I came up with a list of 20 teachers over time."

"How many of those are female?"

He heard typing and was given a quick response. "8."

"Send us those 8, Baby Girl, we'll see what we can do."

"Already done."

Spencer thought to himself. "Can you cross reference those 8 women to anyone who has lost someone important in their life, such as maybe a daughter or a sibling?"

"I'm on the case. I'll call you back soon," she said, clicking the phone off.

* * *

While Spencer was in the office, going through print out copies of the records Garcia had sent him, Emily and JJ sat in the conference room, looking through their tablets.

"He said anything today?" Emily asked, looking over at her.

She shook her head. "He went out to breakfast with Morgan this morning, and from what Morgan told me, he got pretty upset at one point, but you know Spence. He's not going to let his emotions show even if they're begging to be written all over his face."

She sighed. "None of us are ready for this, and we're all going to need to put on our best poker faces so he doesn't find out. We need to stay positive for him, but how do we do that?"

"We let him finish this case in usual Reid fashion and don't let him see that we're as upset as he is."

"So, I hear Morgan and Reid finally experienced early morning JJ," she said with a smile.

JJ shook her head. "I've said it before, I'll say it again. I don't function very well before 8."

* * *

Morgan sat beside Spencer, looking through some of the files. "Find anything yet?"

He shook his head. "Hopefully Garcia calls back soon so I can figure this out."

"You know it's not just on you to figure this out. You have the whole team."

He looked up at him. "This is my last chance to prove myself before I'm stuck behind a desk the rest of my life."

"The last seven years was you proving yourself. You don't owe us anything."

"It's just something I need to do right now."

Morgan took his phone out, answering it.

"Talk to me, Baby Girl."

"Do you have Genius Baby Daddy with you?"

"Right next to me."

"I cross-referenced the eight results that came up with a significant loss in their life in the last ten years. I came up with two: an English teacher who lost her younger sister in a car accident and a Math teacher who lost her daughter."

"How'd the daughter die?"

"Father murdered her, then took his own life."

"Can you send me those files?"

"No problem, it's done. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm escaping the world of the morbid and I'm going to watch a video of a penguin being tickled to cheer myself up."

"Enjoy. Thanks, Garcia."

Morgan hung up the phone, looking at his tablet. "We have 8 down to 2, but how do we know which one's our unsub?"

Spencer looked through the news articles. He scanned them over, twice to be sure he retained every last word.

"Reid?"

He put up his finger.

"What do you have?"

"Shush!"

He looked over to Prentiss. "Did I really just get shushed?"

Emily sat beside him. "What do you have, Reid?"

He held up a file. "Our unsub."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Fits our profile of an older female, with a past connection to each of the three girls. She owns a minivan, has a basement in her house, her house is in a secluded area so nobody would be suspicious of her, and the loss of her daughter was the stresser."

"Why's that?"

"Three months ago, her father murdered her, then killed himself. Her daughter," he said, digging through the file, "looked like this." He held up a photo of a young girl with blonde hair and brown eyes, just like each of the girls who was taken.

Morgan patted Spencer's shoulder. "Great job, Reid."

He nodded. "Go get them home."

* * *

He watched as Hotch, Rossi, Prentiss, and Morgan took off with several policemen. He leaned back in his chair, his hands over his face.

"You okay?"

He moved his hands and wiped his eyes. JJ saw tears streaming down his face.

"Oh, Spence," she started, wrapping her arms around him and rubbing his back, "you did a great job. You just saved those girls. I'm really proud of you."

He sniffed, sighing. "Can I get a ride to the hospital?" He paused when he saw the fear written on his face. "… I need to keep my promise."

She hit his arm. "Jesus, Spence, don't scare me like that!" she said, grabbing the keys off the table and walking outside, him not far behind.

* * *

When they arrived at the hospital, he made his way to her room. He walked in and took his seat from before. She sat up in her bed when she noticed him and looked at him, waiting.

"You were a really big help, Cassandra."

"Cassie."

He smiled. "Sorry. You were an amazing help in our case, Cassie."

"Did you find them?"

"Our team's on their way to the house right now to get them out and put away the person that did this to you."

Not knowing of his phobia of touching other people, she nearly leapt of bed and hugged him.

"Thank you so much," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

He looked out at JJ, who had a smile on her face. He smiled too, rubbing her back. He couldn't think of a better way to wrap up his last case flying out with the team.


	32. Last Flight

The beginning of the flight back home was very quiet. They'd all congratulated him back at the police station, and weren't sure of what to say in this situation. He was curled up on the couch, fast asleep. JJ walked over, putting a blanket over him and a pillow under his head, then made her way over to the rest of the team.

"He almost told me, you know," Morgan finally said, taking off his headphones.

"Told you what?" Rossi asked.

"About the father. This morning at lunch, we were talking, and I wasn't poking into it or anything, but he was going to tell me who the father is."

"Why didn't he?"

"That's when you called, Hotch. Then he got nervous and said it wasn't important. Wouldn't I like to give that son of a bitch a piece of my mind."

"The kid's not going to hound the guy," Rossi started, "he said himself he knows the guy doesn't remember even creating the baby and he's not going to hold him responsible for her. His bravery is admirable, but I think it's really going to hit him when that baby comes… how hard it's really going to be."

JJ sighed. "He's going to need us, whether he admits it or not." She turned back to see him curled up on his side, fast asleep. "I was going to invite him to come back and stay with me for a few weeks after, but knowing him-"

"He'll throw a fit, saying he can handle it, and be insulted that you even suggested he couldn't," Emily finished.

Morgan looked over at him. "So what do we do? Let him do it alone until he panics and calls one of us crying in the middle of the night?"

"What else can we do?"

"I don't care what he says. I want to find this guy and wring his neck."

* * *

He woke up mid-flight, sitting up and stretching.

"Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

He looked over at Morgan and glared at him, getting up and walking to the bathroom.

"Seems he's as much of a morning person as you, Jayje," Prentiss said, looking up from her book.

When he got out of the bathroom, he walked over and sat beside JJ, resting his head on her shoulder.

"You okay, Pretty Boy?"

"I wanted to sleep. She decided it was playtime."

"What's that mean?"

Rather than try to explain it, he grabbed Morgan's hand and rested it on the side of his bump, where she was currently kicking. "Now imagine that on all of your internal organs."

Morgan's eyes widened. "Oh, wow. You put up with that all day?"

"All day, every day. Not to mention she's got a case of the hiccups right now."

Morgan pulled his hand away. "All that's going on inside you right now?"

He nodded.

"And that doesn't scare you?"

"No, does it scare you?"

"…Very much so."

JJ and Spencer exchanged a look and laughed.

"What?"

JJ shook her head. "Nothing."

Morgan quickly changed the subject. "Promise me something, Pretty Boy?"

He looked up at Morgan. "Sure, anything."

There was a moment of silence. "Don't forget about us when you're doing desk work."

They all looked around at each other. They'd all skipped around the subject the entire day, but were sort of relieved that Morgan had finally brought it up.

"You know I can't do that. And I'll still be working cases. I just… won't be there. I mean, I'll still be working _with_ you, just not while I'm with you. Up until I have to go on leave for the baby at 36 weeks, I'm going to keep working. You guys can't get rid of me that easy."

"So Garcia's going to be spending every single working minute with you? Kid, you should probably invest in a suit of armor or something for all the time around her so she'll stop trying to feel the baby every time it moves a centimeter," Rossi said.

Hotch looked over at Spencer. "And don't worry about oversleeping. I remember this time was especially trying for Haley, so if you sleep through your alarm, do not pull a Reid and panic."

"I do not… pull a _Reid_."

"Panic, throw on anything you find, and sprinting to work? You've done it before, Spence. Hence the saying 'pull a Reid'."

He groaned. "One time and I'm scarred for life."

* * *

Shortly before they landed, everyone around him had dozed off, and he was wide awake thanks to his daughter moving around. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and winced.

"Spence?" JJ mumbled, looking over at him tiredly.

"I'm fine," he said quickly.

She sat up, pushing off her blanket. "What's up?"

"Just sore and cramped, no big deal."

"Cramped _where_?" she asked directly.

"My legs and my stomach."

"Stomach? Spence…"

By now, everyone was awake and watching the two of them.

"Should I call for a premature landing?" Hotch asked.

Spencer shook his head. "Just a Braxton Hicks, I'm fine. I've been having them for weeks."

"You're sure? You don't need to lie, Reid. If something's wrong…" Prentiss started.

"Nothing's wrong. I swear. Trust me; I'd be on the floor crying if I were in labor."

They all looked at each other uneasily.

"I promise. I'm fine."

"If you have another-" Hotch started.

"I'll go to the hospital and get it checked out."

* * *

When they finally did land, they all made their way to their respective vehicles. Spencer walked over to the cab stop.

"Excuse you," Morgan started, pulling his car up beside him.

He turned to look at him. "What?"

"It has been an extremely long day. I'm not going to let you fall asleep in a cab and wake up missing your child and a kidney."

"You do know the kidney heist is just an urban legend, right?"

"I'm not taking any lessons. Get in the car."

He knew arguing with Morgan was pointless, so he threw his bags in the backseat and got in.

While they were driving, Morgan looked over at him, then back at the road. "You know, you can tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"About the father. You started in the diner and never got to finish. You can trust me, I won't hunt the guy down or anything."

He sighed, looking at his hands. "Derek, can you just drop it? Please."

"You're really not going to tell me who this guy is?"

He shook his head. "And I really don't want to talk about it. I just want to live on the high of finishing this case and saving those girls."

"Fine, but you're going to have to tell someone eventually."

"When that day comes, I will."

* * *

The rest of the trip to Spencer's apartment was nearly silent. Once Morgan pulled up in front of the building, Spencer sighed.

"Thanks, Morgan."

"For what, Pretty Boy?"

"What you did, back at the diner this morning. I really needed it."

He reached over and messed up his hair. "It's what big brothers are for, Reid."

He smiled slightly, getting out and grabbing his bags from the backseat.

"I'll see you in the office on Monday?"

He nodded. "So long as you guys don't leave me for a case."

"I'll try my best. Take care of yourself, kid. And actually enjoy your weekend for a change."

"I will," he said, waving a quick goodbye and walking up to his apartment.


	33. Working

Spencer spent the majority of his weekend writing a long letter to his mother, updating her about the baby and her daily adventures. Every time he thought he'd finished, he thought of something new he needed to include. He'd also copied each of his sonograms and included those with the letter. By the time Monday came around, he was dreading it. He wasn't looking forward to his first day where, if a case came up, he'd be stuck at Quantico.

* * *

When he got to work in the morning, he set his tea on his desk and sat down in his chair. He made note that if he ever found a way back in time, he'd slap his past self for setting his chair so low. He also noted that the next time he got up he'd have to ask someone to fix the chair for him.

"Morning, Reid," Emily said, sitting at her desk. "Sleep well?"

"Not really – if it's not her moving around constantly kicking me, it's heartburn. I'm lucky if I got five hours last night."

"If you want, my apartment's not too far from here. During lunch you can go take a nap? I need to head back home anyway and feed Sergio."

"That sounds heavenly, but no can do," he pointed to the stack of paperwork on his desk. "I'm out of here in 7 weeks and all of this, plus whatever's getting added to it, needs to be done."

"You do realize you don't need to take it all, right?" He looked up at her, practically glaring. "Nevermind."

"Do you know at 29 weeks, you're supposed to feel the baby move ten times in an hour?"

"How many times an hour does she move?"

"She seems to take ten as a challenge. She especially loves to do that on my organs."

"Is it weird to think about it? That 29 weeks ago you had no thought whatsoever about being a father, and now you can't picture life without her?"

He smiled. "It's really weird, actually. It seems like that was a whole other lifetime," he rested his hand on his bump. "I don't regret it for a second. Drunken one night stand or not. Though I do have to admit, I'm pretty sure that night put me off of alcohol for the rest of my life."

"We'll see about that after your first few nights of parenthood."

* * *

His day was going the best that he could imagine – they were all sitting around working on paperwork and able to engage in small talk. What he wasn't a fan of, however, was the fact that all the small talk was about him and the baby. Garcia came over every hour on the hour to check on him and be sure the baby was moving regularly. At first, he was flattered at her concern. At this point, he was just annoyed. When it came time for lunch, the team was all going out together.

"Ready to go, Spence?" JJ asked, walking over and holding out his coat. He looked up at her, shook his head, then buried his head in his hands. "You okay?"

He nodded. "Just a headache. I've been getting them more often than usual."

She sat on the edge of his desk, putting her hand on his forehead.

"What are you-" he started.

"Shh," she ordered, pressing her cold hand on his head. "You don't have a fever… how about I pick up your lunch for you, and you go lay down in my office? Maybe baby girl just needs a nap."

"I can go with you to pick it up, it's not a problem."

She looked at him sternly. "Get a cold cloth, lie down, put it on your head, and take a nap. There's a blanket under the couch in my office. Go relax. I can handle grabbing your lunch and bringing it back."

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything…"

"Don't tell Hotch? If he finds out I was taking a nap during the day-"

"Finds out? Spence, he suggested it. In case you've forgotten, Hotch is a dad. He's been there before with Haley. He wants you here as long as you medically can be, and so does the rest of the team. Now if you don't go relax, I will have Garcia yelling at you to do so."

He pushed himself out of his chair, and groaned. "Another quick favor?"

She looked at him. "Fine, but just one."

"It's sort of embarrassing… but where I have my chair, it's near impossible to sit down and stand up without a struggle."

She smiled, shaking her head. "Wow, I don't miss that at all." She squatted beside the chair, lifted the lever, and put it at its highest setting. "Better?"

"Perfect. Thanks, Jayje."

She ruffled his hair and slipped on her jacket. "If I'm not mistaken… grilled chicken sandwich on rye bread, no mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, extra bacon with a side of fries, and honey mustard on the side for the sandwich?"

"You're the best," he said, watching her as she left.

After the team left for lunch, he knew he'd better do what JJ said. He went to the break room, grabbed a clean dish cloth, and soaked it in cold water. Once he wrung it out, he walked to JJ's office, laid down on her couch, put the cloth on his forehead, and sighed. He was already exhausted, and it was only 12:30. He curled up on his side and pulled the blanket over him, resting a hand on his bump. It took nearly no time for him to fall asleep.

* * *

The team came back from lunch an hour later, and he was still fast asleep on JJ's couch.

"Should we wake him?" Morgan asked, looking in JJ's office.

JJ practically glared at him. "You want to wake a pregnant person up? Go ahead. I'm not going to let you charge him for the loss of limb or appendage you'll experience."

"Hotch!"

"I'm with JJ on this one. Let him sleep, he needs it."

JJ smirked. "Now, out of my office, I need to work."

"How are you going to work with him sleeping there?"

"Very quietly, now shoo."

* * *

He woke up an hour later, squinting at the sunlight pouring in through the window. He sat up on the couch, stretching and pushing the blanket aside.

"Sleep well?" JJ asked, still looking at her file.

He checked the watch on his wrist, and sighed. "I slept for 2 hours?"

"Was beginning to think I'd have to wake you."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because in eleven weeks time, you'll be begging for times like this when you can sleep whenever you want, as long as you can."

"But-"

"Hotch isn't mad. You need to stop worrying about what everyone else is going to think and just worry about the two of you."

"Do you have my lunch?"

She smiled, pointing to the table beside the couch. "Enjoy."

He opened up the tray. "You know you're the greatest, right?"

"I may have heard it once or twice."

* * *

While he was eating, Hotch came into the office.

"Reid."

He set down his sandwich and wiped his mouth. "Hm?"

"Are you busy on Saturday?"

He thought to himself, then shook his head.

"Since we're going to be down one man in a few weeks time, we're meeting at Rossi's to figure out how we're going to even out the workload, and I can't think of anyone better to come up with how to do it."

"So I have to work on a weekend?"

"I'll give you Monday morning paid for your doctor's appointment."

"Fine. What time?"

"Around noontime – after Jack's morning soccer match."

He sighed and nodded. "I'll be there."

After Hotch left JJ's office, he looked at JJ. "Work on a weekend when not on a case? That's just not fair."

She shrugged. "We need to figure out how we're going to survive without our resident genius."

"Well, while I'm on leave, you could always call-"

She shot him a look.

"…or I could just go to Rossi's Saturday afternoon to figure it all out."

"There you go. Now eat up."


	34. Shower

The week had gone by very slowly for him. The team had left for a case on Tuesday and came back on Friday. He'd be lying if he said it didn't kill him to see his team leave for the airstrip and not come back for three days. He was able to help Garcia the best he could on the case, but still felt as if he was worthless to the team back in Quantico.

* * *

By the time Saturday came around, he contemplated even going to work. He knew he'd spend the entire time feeling guilty because the team is down an agent, and now he needed to split up his workload among his coworkers. His phone started ringing and he checked it. Seeing it was JJ, he sighed, quickly answering it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, do you need a ride to Rossi's? It's not exactly easy to get to using public transportation."

"I don't think I'm going."

"Spence…"

"No, JJ, what's the point? I already feel useless and it's going to make me feel even worse when I have to look my coworkers in the eye and make them do my work until I get back because of one stupid night."

"Hey. You're Spencer Reid. You don't miss a day of work no matter what. You were kidnapped, tortured, and drugged, and then showed up a couple days later like it was nothing. Are you telling me the great Agent Reid-"

"That's Doctor."

"I'm sorry, the great _Doctor_ Spencer Reid is going to miss a day of work just because he's emotional."

"Jayje."

"Oh no, don't you Jayje me. You know I'm right."

"But Jayje!"

"I'll be there in 10 minutes. You'd better be ready."

"But-"

Before he could get another word in, she hung up. He groaned, shoving his phone in his pocket and sitting on the couch. One of these days, he was going to learn to say no to her.

* * *

When she got to his apartment, he didn't give her a chance to come inside. As soon as she pulled up, he threw his bag over the shoulder, walked out, locked his door, and walked out to her car. After he got in, she looked at him.

"Do you need to talk?"

He shook his head.

"You're sure?"

He nodded.

She sighed. "Fine, but you'd better cheer up. You may be going to work but I'm not going to let you be a negative Nancy."

"A what?"

"A pessimist. Now buckle up."

He reached over, buckling his seatbelt.

"Why are we doing this at Rossi's, anyway? Shouldn't we be doing it at the office where we have all the files on hand to get it done?"

She shrugged. "Hotch's idea. Thought it'd do us all some good to get out of the office for a while, maybe clear our heads a little bit."

"My head's perfectly clear – perhaps too much. I found myself forgetting to put on socks before my shoes this morning."

"Pregnancy brain."

"…What?"

She smiled, shaking her head. "Forgetfulness comes with pregnancy, Spence. Even for young geniuses. Trust me; you'll be back to yourself in no time."

He sighed, and the remainder of the ride was relatively quiet.

* * *

Once they got to Rossi's, they got out of the car. Spencer looked around, raising an eyebrow.

"What's up?"

He shrugged. "Just seems unusual that they all drove here individually. You'd think if it was work related they'd have gone to the office, grabbed the files, then carpooled."

Nuh uh, no profiling allowed today. Let's go."

"But-"

She took his hand. "Today is not about profiling. Let's go."

He raised his eyebrow. They were profilers – if today wasn't about profiling, what on earth could it be about?

* * *

He walked up to the house and opened the front door, walking into the living room. What he saw before him was definitely not what he was expected. The entire room was decorated in pink and purple – balloons, decorations, streamers, plates, and cups. There was an entire table set up with wrapped presents, and he looked to see his team all wearing ridiculous pink party hats – even Hotch and Rossi.

"…What is all this?"

JJ smiled. "It's your baby shower."

"You mean… I get a baby shower?"

"Of course, why wouldn't you?"

"I… didn't think you guys would go through with it. I mean, you already got her presents here and there, I assumed that was it."

"Come on, Pretty Boy, do you really think we wouldn't celebrate?"

"Celebrate my night with entirely too much vodka?"

Garcia shook her head. "No, the result of it. Now if you don't stop being pessimistic and analyzing this entire thing and just start enjoying it, I'm going to make your life a living hell at work."

"More than you already will?" Rossi spoke up.

Spencer couldn't help but smile. "You all really went through with this for me?"

"How you didn't catch on is beyond me," Hotch commented. "We were all wondering when we'd blow it and say or do something to tip you off."

"I-I don't know what to say. Thank you so much. This is – wow."

"You can thank us by telling us Genius 2.0's name," Garcia suggested.

He smiled. "Nice try."

* * *

"Garcia, it's my baby shower, can't I just watch you all participate in the games and enjoy your misery?"

"Not a chance, 187. I worked very hard on all of this, and you're joining in the fun with the rest of us."

He sat down, groaning, knowing that arguing at this point was useless.

Garcia disappeared for a minute, then came back with several jars of baby food.

"I don't think I like where this is going," Rossi commented.

Spencer looked. She had taken off all of the labels and replaced them with numbers.

"I'm scared to ask-"

"Oh, it's easy! You just pick up a jar, taste it, and try to guess the flavor."

"They all look like vomit," Morgan said, picking up a jar of orange mush. He watched as the rest of his team grabbed jars too, Spencer grabbing one that was light green. "Especially his."

Garcia looked at him. "And just for that, _you_ get to go first!"

He groaned, opening up the jar. "I'm going to somehow get you back for this, Baby Girl." He wrinkled his nose, putting the spoon in and eating it. "Is ass a flavor? Because this tastes like ass."

Everyone in the room couldn't help but start laughing.

"No, Derek, you can't feed a baby _ass_ flavored food. Now try again."

He sighed, putting the spoon back in and tasting it. "Sorry, no way that's any sort of food I'd feed a kid."

She rolled her eyes. "You big baby. It was broccoli and carrots."

"_Definitely_ not something I'd feed a kid."

Spencer had to admit, he enjoyed watching his teammates' misery. He watched in amusement as Emily unsuccessfully guessed apples and blueberries, Rossi failed miserably at guessing turkey dinner (commenting "If that's a turkey dinner, I'm the queen of England"), and Garcia couldn't guess green beans. However, it wasn't as amusing when JJ correctly guessed pears and bananas and Hotch guessed peaches.

"What, you don't think I tasted what I was feeding my son?"

"I still say you cheated," Morgan said, shaking his head.

"Okay, prodigy, your turn," Garcia said, looking over at Spencer.

"This is some form of punishment, Garcia. I swear I'll get revenge," he said, unscrewing the top. He stuck his spoon in and tasted it. After a minute of thinking, he set down the jar. "I _hate_ peas." He wrinkled his nose and made a face, sticking his tongue out, which Garcia was sure to photograph.

* * *

"Now!" Garcia said, getting up and cleaning up the jars. "A fun game."

"Anyone else scared by her definition of fun?" Morgan asked. They all collectively raised their hands.

"Very funny," she said, throwing away the jars. She brought in a posterboard, setting it on the wall. "Time for a game of Guess Who!"

Spencer looked at the board and saw several baby pictures arranged in a collage. Dead center, he recognized his own baby picture with the light brown hair, big hazel eyes, and his foot in his mouth.

"Garcia, how did you even find these?" Emily asked, blushing. Spencer guessed that she was the completely nude baby in the upper left corner.

"Never doubt my skills."

"We never have," Morgan said, smiling at his own picture with his father.

Spencer was the best at the game, which was a surprise to no one. JJ was the small blonde baby with her hair in pigtails, Garcia was the blonde baby in a zebra print outfit, Rossi's was the only photo in black and white, and Hotch was the giggling baby with a teddy bear.

* * *

Once the games were over, Garcia decided it was time to open presents.

"Can't I just do this later?" he pleaded.

"I'll let you do that… if you tell me the name of the petite prodigy."

Everyone looked over, wondering how this would go. He wasn't budging on the name, but they weren't sure he'd want to experience the embarrassment of opening presents and having everyone watch him while he did it.

He thought about it for a minute. "What if I give you a hint?"

"Nope, name or nothing."

He shrugged. "Fine." He grabbed a present from the top of the stack and looked through. "Just for that, you're going to be the last to find out."

She gasped. "That's not fair!"

"Prentiss knows part of her name. My mom knows her first name. That's already two people you're behind."

"Has anyone ever told you you're an evil genius?"

"No, why?"

"They should start."

* * *

He opened up the first box, revealing a set of baby monitors with video screens.

"Three guesses who," Morgan commented.

He smiled. "Thank you, Garcia." She looked at him and pouted. "Do you want to feel your niece kick? I'll give you permission this one time if you stop pouting at me."

She didn't even need to think about it. She walked right over and rested her right hand on his bump. "Fine, maybe you're not so evil."

"…Thank you?" he said, setting the box down beside him.

She then pointed to a pile of presents at the end of the table. "And I got you enough diapers to last you the first few months, as well as a whole bunch of onesies."

"Wow, Garcia, you didn't have t-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence. Today is about you getting what you need for that baby, and oh trust me, she's going to need diapers."

He knew better than to try to argue with her and thanked her again. He had to have Morgan carry the next box over to him, because the second he considered lifting it, Garcia gave him a dirty look. He tore off the paper and inspected the box. He smiled when he saw a baby swing that matched his nursery perfectly.

"Oh, wow," he said, reading the side of the box. "Morgan this is… wow."

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't call up my momma and ask for advice. Speaking of, she's expecting a picture after she's born. She claims it's the closest she's ever going to get to having pictures of a grandbaby – the woman has no faith in her children to settle down."

He smirked. "Yeah, no problem. Thanks."

He opened his present from Emily – a mobile to match the bedding set she'd given him before and several outfits, including a little sweater vest.

"I couldn't resist – I'm sorry. If she's daddy's little girl, she's got to have an outfit like her daddy. But I had to swear to Garcia that was the only one I was buying."

"It's perfect. Thank you."

* * *

He looked at another large box. "Hotch?"

"Open it." Hotch said with a rare smile on his face.

He took off the wrapping paper and read the box. "Pack and play?"

"What, didn't read about those in any of your books?" Morgan asked.

He shook his head. "I heard of cribs and bassinets, but not this."

"It's where we had Jack sleeping during the day when we were at home. If we weren't in the bedroom or couldn't get to the nursery, he was in this. Basically, it's a playpen for when she's older, but for when she's a newborn, there's a spot for her to sleep, a place for diaper changes, and storage for everything for changing so you don't have to keep running to the nursery every time you need something. It'll be your new favorite thing when you're taking naps on the couch."

"This is… incredible. Thanks, Hotch."

"And I'll be sure Morgan or one of us goes over to put it together for you."

"I can do-" he looked around and saw all the women glaring at him. "Nevermind."

* * *

He then looked over at JJ. "I have a feeling I should be scared of what's to come from you."

She picked up a box that went past her waist and carried it over. "Trust me."

He grabbed a corner of the paper, ripping it off. He smiled, tracing the picture of the stroller and carrier on the front of the box. "I was looking at this the other day, how'd you know?"

She smiled. "Garcia's not the only one who can figure things out. I'd gotten Henry the same one in blue, and it's the best you can get. The carrier latches on to the stroller so if she falls asleep in the car, you won't have to wake her up and have her screaming bloody murder the second you try. Plus it has the hood," she pointed to the picture, "so when you take her for walks, you can block out the sunlight."

"Oh, wow."

"And…" she said, reaching for another box. "Everything you need for her carseat – the base that her carrier snaps into for the first few months, then the convertible carseat for when she's older."

He stood up, giving JJ the first hug of the party. He smiled. "Thank you. For everything," he whispered in her ear. "I wouldn't be surviving this without you."

She patted his back. "No problem, little brother."

"I guess it's best for last?" Rossi asked. He walked up and handed Spencer an envelope. Everyone looked around, wondering what sort of insensitive gift card he'd given him. Spencer raised an eyebrow, ripping open the envelope and opening the card. Inside was a check, and his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Rossi, this is- I can't take this," he said softly, looking up at the older man. "This is way too much."

"I never had kids of my own to take care of, but I can only imagine how hard it is. I have more than enough valuables and things to live off of – I know you're spending a lot of money taking care of your mother, and it's time for you to focus on taking care of you and that baby."

"I-I don't know what to say."

"Well, a thank you wouldn't hurt."

Spencer took a deep breath, looked up at Rossi, and wrapped his arms around him. "Thank you so much."

Rossi patted his back, rubbing it. "No problem, kid. You deserve to finally stop worrying about how you're going to handle all of this, because you're not alone."

There were tears streaming down his face. He finally had the feeling that he'd be able to financially support himself and his daughter without a worry in the world. He knew enough thank yous in the world wouldn't be able to say how grateful he was.

* * *

Several hours later, after they'd had dinner courtesy of Rossi and slices of cake that were shaped like a bassinet, it was time for him to call it a night.

"I could stay, Garcia, help you clean up."

"You will do no such thing. You will let Morgan finish loading up JJ's car, have JJ drive you home and Morgan follow, watch Morgan unload everything, and relax."

"…When did Morgan volunteer to do this?" Morgan asked.

"Just now."

He groaned, getting up and grabbing a few boxes and walking out to the car. Hotch decided to help and started carrying out some of the bags.

"So this is what you've been hiding from me since I told you?"

She nodded. "Told you you'd find out eventually."

"This was great. Thank you," he walked over and hugged her. "She really appreciates it, too. She's doubled her hourly movements since we got here."

"Well, that's because she loves her Aunt Penny."

"Aunt Penny?"

"Come on, you think I'm going to torture my niece by having her try to announce Penelope? That's just child cruelty."

* * *

A few minutes later, he said his goodbyes and got into JJ's car.

"You couldn't even give me a hint?" he asked, looking at her.

"Not a chance," she said, starting the car and driving back to his apartment.

When they got there, Morgan parked right behind him. When he made a move to go to the trunk, JJ stopped him.

"You even think about it and I'm telling Garcia. Go unlock the door and sit down on the couch."

Rather than argue, he did as he was told. He put his bag on his shoulder, walked up, unlocked the door, and propped it open. He sat on the couch, running his hand over his bump.

"Little too much excitement for you, princess? Don't worry, we're going to wind down. And tomorrow, daddy's going to sleep as late as you want. Promise."

He watched as Morgan and JJ carried in all of the gifts. While they tried putting some of the things together, such as the carriage, carrier, and pack and play, he went upstairs to hang up the clothes and put away the diapers. There were entirely too much to fit into the nursery, so he put them in the changing table, saved some for downstairs, and put the rest in her closet. He did find it slightly odd that she wasn't born yet and she already had more clothes than he'd ever had. Thank you, Penelope.

* * *

He went downstairs later on and sat on the couch to watch as they finished up. JJ showed him how to open and close the carriage, as well as how to snap in and remove the carrier. She also gave him a walkthrough of how the pack and play works, though most of it was self explanatory. When she finished, she went upstairs and grabbed supplies for the pack and play, putting them in each of the respective slots. Morgan finished putting batteries into the baby monitors and setting them up, then walked downstairs.

"Looks like all we need now is, well, her," Spencer said, motioning toward his bump.

"And she can wait eleven weeks, just like she's supposed to."

"Ten tomorrow," he corrected.

"Two and a half months and Pretty Boy's a dad. It's crazy to think about."

He shrugged. "I'm used to it by now. Since I have everything together and in its place, it's all sort of set in."

"You going to be at work on Monday?" Morgan asked, pulling on his jacket.

"I have to see my doctor in the morning for my 30 week check-up, but after that I'll be in for the day."

"See you then, Pretty Boy. Take it easy tomorrow – today's been way too exciting for that little one."

"Thanks for sacrificing your Saturday night for me."

"Only thing I sacrificed was going to bed early with Clooney. Trust me, it's no big deal. See you on Monday, Jayje."

JJ gave a slight wave as Morgan left, then looked at Spencer.

"You okay? You seemed to get a little upset earlier after Rossi's present."

"It's not what he gave me, it's what he said. I'm finally at a point in my life where I need to make myself the priority and… I'm not sure how to do that. All these years I've been all about taking care of my mom or watching after the team. How do I change years of thinking and take care of myself?"

She rubbed his back. "You sleep. You relax. You listen to what your body's telling you. You prioritize and put that little one above anything else in the world. Your mom understands. Even if she's having one of her episodes, she'll look at the pictures you send her and know that you're taking care of the two most important women in your life, and yourself."

"Think you can help?"

"The best I can. Need me to stay tonight?"

He shook his head. "We'll be okay."

She rubbed his bump and got up, pulling on her jacket. "If you want it, that night of watching Henry is still all yours."

"I'll think about it."

She smiled. "No pressure," she said quickly, before heading out.

He looked around his apartment and sighed. It no longer looked like _his_ apartment – it was now _theirs_ and he couldn't wait to have her as company.


	35. 72

On Monday morning, Spencer was waiting impatiently in the waiting room at his doctor's office. He knew that Hotch had given him permission to miss work that morning to go, but it was aggravating him that everyone else was at work and he was stuck here. Especially considering in 6 weeks time, he'd be out of work and they'd be down one man.

When he was finally called in, he was used to routine. They weighed him, and he looked away as the number kept getting larger. One nurse checked his blood pressure, and another came in to draw blood. He was then instructed to lie back on the bed and wait for his doctor. He sighed, tapping on his bump for entertainment – he wished he hadn't left his phone in his bag across the room. The doctor walked in, clipboard in hand. She went over the basics: that he wasn't at risk for preeclampsia, his blood work came out fine, and his weight gain was right on track, though he begged to differ. She measured his bump and recorded it.

"Any new symptoms or any problems?"

"I haven't been sleeping well at night. If it's not heartburn, it's her waking up and deciding she wants to practice her gymnastics skills. Other than that, stretch marks that make my bump look like some sort of science experiment and I feel like I'm swollen and sore. Everywhere."

"Believe it or not, those are all normal. If you start experiencing any dizziness, be sure to lie down immediately with your feet up to avoid fainting. If you do faint, I'd like you to see a doctor, just to be sure everything's all set."

He sighed, but nodded.

"Have you been keeping track of her movements?"

"Yeah, I know you said ten an hour, but she likes to take that and try doubling it every single hour when I try to count."

"That's perfectly fine. You should only worry when it's less."

Soon after, he laid back so they could hear her heartbeat. His doctor put the gel on his bump and he listened intently as she put on the transducer. That was definitely a sound he would never get sick of.

* * *

"Now, Dr. Reid, I understand it could be a nervous subject, but I'd like to set a date for induction, just in case you don't go naturally and there aren't any health risks."

He chewed on his lip, sitting up. "Health risks?"

"Well with a male pregnancy, there are a lot more risks than with females. Carrying past full term can be trying on females, but in males it's especially dangerous." She saw the panicked look on his face. "Which is why we're scheduling your cesarean. You can go well before the scheduled date and still be fine, it's just precautionary."

He exhaled, nodding. "If it's for her safety."

She looked through her schedule, and landed on his due date. "Let's go with July 16th at 8:00 a.m. We'll bring you in, we'll induce you, and you'll probably have your daughter by that night."

He rested his hand on his bump, running his hand over it. "Sounds like a plan."

She wrote it down in her schedule and handed him a card with the date on it.

"Can I also get a doctor's note? I'm on desk work at my job and my boss wants notes from you saying that I'm still capable of working."

"When does your scheduled leave start?"

"Middle of June."

She quickly wrote out the note and handed it to him. "Stay safe, and be sure to schedule your next appointment on your way out. I'll see you in two weeks."

He tucked the note into his pocket, along with his card, and grabbed his satchel off the chair. He scheduled his next appointment, and then he was off to work.

* * *

While walking to the office, he called JJ.

"Hey, Spence. How'd it go?"

"Um, pretty well, I guess?"

"You guess? Uh oh, what's my favorite genius panicking about now?"

"I'm not panicking. And don't give me that look!"

"You can't even see me, how did you know?"

"I can tell by the tone. You're giving me that 'Spence, you're lying to me' look, you know I hate that!"

"You're freaking out, what's wrong?"

"Did you know at the 30th week you need to set a c-section date so you don't have health risks? 30 weeks. I still have 10 weeks left and they're already scheduling taking her out! How is that even right? I thought I had plenty of time before talks of this started, but no, they're already planning on it."

"Spence, it's normal."

"Normal?! Nothing about this whole situation is normal, Jayje."

"Stop." He stopped dead in his tracks. "Now breathe."

He took a deep breath, sighing. "Happy?"

"Thrilled. You working yourself up right now isn't going to help anything. Stay calm. Relax. You've still got ten weeks, they only scheduled the appointment as a precautionary measure. It happens. When is it?"

"July 16th. Eight in the morning."

"And when's your due date?"

"The 18th."

"Then you're perfectly fine. And if it'll help calm you down, I will put in the paperwork now to be sure I'm home that day, just in case you do last that long."

He groaned. "And if I don't last that long? What if you're all gone on a case and something happens?"

"Don't think like that."

"But-"

"Don't."

"But Jayje-"

"No. I'm not going to let you panic over this. You just stay concerned about the two of you and don't think about everything else surrounding it. Calm down. I'll see you once you get in."

He sighed. "Fine, see you in five minutes. And if there was a green tea waiting for me on my desk with two sugars, I'd be eternally grateful."

"Consider it done."

He hung up the phone as he walked into the elevator.

* * *

When he finally made it to the office, he set his bag down, sat at his desk, and drank his tea, trying to get his mind off of everything. Of course, with Spencer Reid, that's never the case.

"You okay, Reid?"

He looked up to see Prentiss watching him carefully. He sighed. "72 days."

"Come again?"

"My doctor scheduled my c-section for 72 days from now. In 72 days, I'm going to be a father."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that good news? It gives you a goal and something to look forward to if you make it to that day."

"I'm really starting to detest the word _if_. Everyone keeps using it. _If_ I last that long. _If_ I make it to that day. And everyone's calling a pessimist here?"

She smiled. "Okay, let's look at it this way. What if you don't look at it as something to worry about, but instead, the sooner you get to see her. Yes, you may have her earlier, but starting mid-June, isn't she fine no matter when she comes out?"

"Well, technically, a baby _can_ survive after 26 weeks, and her percent chance of surviving increases with each week that passes by."

"Then you're more than fine. Just relax."

He sighed. "I really wish people would stop telling me that."

"Then maybe you should actually try doing it for a change," she suggested.

* * *

He looked through his bag and took out his doctor's note.

"Is Hotch in his office?"

"Should be – he just got out of a meeting with Strauss, so there's your warning."

"Then this should be pleasant," he said, pushing himself out of his chair and walking to Hotch's office. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in."

He walked in and stood in front of his desk, waiting for him to look up from his files.

"Something wrong?" he asked, looking up.

He shook his head. "Just got back from the doctor's, I'm cleared to work up until 36 weeks." He reached in his pocket and handed him the note.

"Judging by how nervous you are, I take it you were given a date today?"

He nodded. "July 16th, first thing in the morning. I wasn't due until the 18th."

"First children are usually born late, Reid. Consider it a blessing."

"Believe me, I'm trying."

"If you'd like, I can do my best to be sure JJ is off that day. I'm assuming she's going to be in the delivery room with you."

He nodded.

"Good. Now, these last few weeks at work might be exhausting. Don't hesitate to lie down in JJ's office for a couple hours during the day and relax," he saw the look on his face, "no, it won't make me upset or get you penalized in any way. It's for your health and safety, and I'll order it if I have to."

"Thanks?"

"Did everything get set up Saturday night?"

"Yeah, Garcia volunteered Morgan and everything for her is all set. The pack and play is perfect, thank you again, so much. I know she's going to love it. I turned on the mobile piece last night when I was reading to her on the couch and she calmed right down and went to sleep. Best night's sleep I've gotten in months."

"Glad I could help."

"Before I go back to work… can I ask you something, one 'father' to another?"

Hotch set his pen down and looked up at him. "Go ahead."

"When does the feeling that you're going to do something wrong go away?"

"I'll let you know when it happens." He looked up at Spencer, who looked terrified. "You're always going to have that fear in the back of your head. You're going to buy the wrong diapers, get the wrong food, pick up the wrong formula, or put them in the wrong outfit. It comes with being a parent, you constantly second guess yourself. But what it's all about? Knowing that you're doing the right thing."

"How do you know it's the right thing?"

"Instinct, mostly. Before Jack was born, all I did was panic – sometimes so bad I couldn't even face Haley. Once I realized that I couldn't make everything perfect and just needed to do the best I could, it all went away. And it will for you too, soon enough. You're an incredibly smart individual, Reid, you're going to be fine."

He smiled. "Thanks, Hotch."

"For what?"

"…Being the dad I never had these last seven years."

Hotch looked up at him, unsure of what to say.

"I mean, my dad walked out and I essentially raised myself. After Hankel, I knew that you really cared about watching after me and protecting me. And that just really means the world to me. Thank you."

What happened next, Spencer hadn't expected. Hotch got up from his desk, walked over, and wrapped his arms around him.

"Despite what you may think, Reid, you're not alone in this. Any time you need anything, you have JJ, you have me, and you have the team."


	36. Babysitting

It had been a mediocre week at the BAU. The team had a case right in Virginia, so Spencer was able to work on the case and still feel like a valuable asset to the team. Luckily this unsub was very sloppy in covering his tracks and finding him was extremely easy. On Friday afternoon, Spencer walked into JJ's office.

She looked up. "Hey, Spence. Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "I actually just wanted to ask you something, if that's okay?"

"Of course, what's up?"

"…Is that offer to babysit Henry still out there? I mean I know I'm not in the best physical shape to be chasing after a four year old but I'd like to at least get some time with him, see what I'm getting myself into. I know it's not the same as a newborn, but I still need some one-on-one experience with a kid."

"You want to watch Henry?" He nodded. "When works for you?"

"I'm available all weekend, really. So anytime you and Will want to go out on a date or do something on your own."

"How about I call Will, and I'll get back to you?"

"So you'll let me watch him?"

"You're his godfather, Spence. He loves you. And once he finds out he gets some alone time with you? He'll be ecstatic."

"Really?"

"Really. Now get back to work. I'll talk to Will, and let you know what he says."

He gave a quick nod and walked back to his desk. A few minutes later, as he was looking through a file, JJ walked up to his desk.

"What's the verdict?"

"Will wants to know if you can watch him tonight. We'd leave not long after work and probably be home around 11."

"11?" Morgan asked. "Well, well, what are you going to get yourself into, Ms. Jareau?"

"Dinner and a movie with my fiancé, then going home and going to bed."

"What, not making Henry a little sibling?"

"Will's pestering me and he's hoping that with Spence being pregnant, I'll want another one."

"Is it working?"

"Not yet. So," she said, looking at Spencer, "after work I'll just drive us back to my place, I'll get ready, Will and I will go out, you'll watch Henry, and I'll drive you home after?"

"I can take the subway. It's no big deal."

"You think I'm going to let my very pregnant little brother take the subway after dark? Not a chance."

"Fine. See you at five."

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to fly by and it was five before Spencer knew it, and the nerves started setting in. He'd watched Henry before without having any issues, but back then he wasn't expecting his own baby and getting practice in.

JJ walked over to his desk. "Ready to go?"

He nodded, putting his bag on his shoulder and getting up. "What if I mess up?"

"Spence, he likes being read to, coloring, and watching Disney movies. There's no way you could mess it up."

* * *

When they got to JJ's house, he looked at her before he got out of the car. "Is it too late to take it back?"

She smiled. "You'll do fine. Come on, you're Unca Spen. He loves you and he's not going to be difficult at all."

"Let's hope so," he said, getting out of the car .Before he knew it, the front door practically flew open.

"Unca Spen!" he looked down and saw Henry running over to him, then hugging his leg. He reached up and put a hand on his bump.

Spencer smiled. "That's your little cousin. Your little girl cousin, to be more specific. She's going to be here in less than 10 weeks… or 68 days to be more specific. Are you going to be a good big cousin?"

He nodded, patting his bump.

JJ picked up Henry. "Come on, little man. Let's get you inside." She walked inside the house, setting him down. Spencer quickly followed.

Will walked over, kissing JJ softly. "How was work?"

"Just another day of paperwork at the BAU. Nothing too exciting. Henry already eat?"

"Chicken nuggets, his favorite. Didn't have time for his bath though."

"I can do it," Spencer spoke up.

JJ looked over. "You sure, Spence?"

"Yeah, it's no trouble at all."

* * *

Before they left, JJ went through a checklist in her head. "You have my number and Will's, and the emergency numbers are on the fridge, which include his doctor and my mom in Pennsylvania. No snacks for Henry after 7, though help yourself if you need anything. Bath time is usually at 7:30, though you can do it earlier or later if need be. His favorite Disney movies are on top of the DVD player already, his coloring books and crayons are on the dining room table, and his books are on the nightstand in his bedroom."

"Jayje, breathe."

"Very funny," she said, exhaling. "Really, if there's any problem, don't hesitate to call. I won't get mad."

"I'll be fine. It's only 5 hours."

She nodded, kissing his cheek, then giving Henry a hug. "Be good for Uncle Spencer, okay?"

"'Kay, Mama."

Will grabbed the car keys and walked outside, JJ following.

* * *

Once he was sure they were gone, Spencer looked through the movies.

"Which one's your favorite?" he asked, holding them out to Henry. Henry didn't hesitate pointing to Peter Pan. Spencer took the disc out, noticing that it was very worn. He'd have to get him a new copy the next time he went shopping. While waiting for the disc to load, he grabbed some blankets and pillows, as well as some chairs from the dining room.

"Ever watched a movie in a fort?" Henry shook his head and Spencer gasped. "Well, we're just going to have to change that!"

He laid down two of the blankets, then put the pillows on top. He set up the two chairs, and draped the sheets over them. He grabbed the remote, squatted down, and climbed into the fort. "Come on in."

Henry smiled, climbing in and sitting beside Spencer.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Unca Spen!" he reached over and hugged his arm.

Spencer smiled, pressing the play button on the remote.

"You know, Henry, this is based on a book by J.M. Barrie."

He gasped. "It is?!"

"Next time I go to the bookstore, I can grab you a copy if you'd like. I read it to the baby at night and she loves it."

He smiled. "Tank ya, Unca Spen!"

Spencer pulled Henry into his lap, ruffling his hair. "Anytime."

* * *

After the movie finished, Spencer's phone rang.

"Yes, Jayje?"

"We just finished dinner and we're headed to the movies now. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. We watched a movie, we built a blanket fort, and now we're having apple slices and coloring."

"Sounds like quite the adventure."

"And, as instructed, after coloring time, I'm going to give him a bath, then read to him and get him to bed."

She smiled. "Looks like you can handle everything just fine. See you in a few hours."

He hung up his phone, putting it on vibrate, and sat beside Henry.

"What are you coloring?"

"Baby."

"My baby?"

He nodded, picking up the pink crayon and scribbling.

"…Can I have that after so I can put it up in her bedroom?"

He gasped, looking up at Spencer. "You do that?"

"Of course. It looks amazing, and she's going to love that her cousin made it for her."

He squealed, continuing to color. Once he declared he was done, he handed it to Spencer, who put it right into his bag with the promise it'd go right into the baby's nursery.

* * *

Once he had given Henry his bath, he tucked him into bed and laid down beside him, book in hand. While one hand held the book open, he ran his other hand over his bump. Tonight, he was able to kill two birds with one stone, reading to both Henry and his daughter at the same time. He read through 'Cat in the Hat', making voices for each of the characters. Before he reached the final page, both of them had dozed off, and the book lay beside Spencer, wide open.

* * *

As soon as JJ got home, she went directly to Henry's room to tuck him in. She couldn't help but smile when she walked in and saw Henry tucked in and Spencer above the blanket with his hand still on the corner of the book, both fast asleep. She walked over, reaching for the book and closing it, setting it on the nightstand and turning off the lamp. She leaned over and nudged Spencer.

"Spence?"

He opened his eyes, mumbling. "Sorry, must've fallen asleep."

"It's fine. Come on, I'll get you home."

He pushed himself off the bed, careful not to wake Henry. He flipped on the nightlight and walked out.

* * *

"You two have fun?"

He nodded, putting the crayons back in the box. "We watched a movie, spent some time in our blanket fort, had a snack, colored, he had a bath and brushed his teeth, then I tucked him in and read to him." He closed the box. "I'm sorry for using all your blankets and pillows for it. I'll go clean it up."

"Why, so Henry can whine that we ruined it tomorrow? Not a chance. It's staying as long as Will lets it."

"You sure? I can go fix it right now, it won't take any more than five minutes."

"You'll do no such thing."

He straightened up the stack of paper and set the box of crayons on top of it.

"Ready to go home?"

He picked up his bag. "Yeah, when Henry gets up, can you tell him I'm sorry for falling asleep during the story?"

"It's no problem, I'm sure he did too."

"Thanks for the chance, Jayje. It means a lot."

"I'm sure I'll be hearing about how much fun he had with Unca Spen all weekend. It's no problem at all. And after this, I'm sure the little princess is going to be no problem."

He half-smiled. "Let's hope she isn't a problem anyway."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thanks to everyone for all the awesome reviews and comments on the story. I can promise you that baby daddy is going to be revealed, and this story may (possibly) get a sequel!


	37. Spinning

On the next Tuesday, Spencer sat at his desk, looking through some files. He groaned, stretching his hand and pulling on a brace. By far the most annoying symptom so far was the wrist pain, especially considering it was in his dominant hand. He made his way over to the break room to make his tea, and practically waddling back to his seat.

"What would Lila Archer say if she knew the guy she was making out with in her pool seven years ago is waddling around like a penguin?" Morgan commented.

Emily reached over and backhanded him.

"What?!"

"Actually, Lila knows. I write to her every few months to keep in touch."

"So in one of your letters you said 'P.S. I'm pregnant'?"

"No… we talk about what we've been up to. She told me about her new TV role, and I told her about the case where I took a bullet to the shoulder and how I had to tell you guys."

Emily looked over. "Wait. _The_ Lila Archer. The actress. Was making out with Reid in a pool?"

Morgan nodded. "He was back at her house with her to 'help her pack'."

She looked over at Spencer. "You animal."

He blushed. "Anyway. She, much like Rossi, needed me to confirm that I wouldn't give the baby a strange name."

"Are you?" Emily asked. "I know I gave you the book, but you never said anything."

"I'm not naming her after any serial killers, Greek gods, biblical characters, authors, or novelists. Is that enough confirmation that I can come up with a 'normal' name?"

"So, if that's not how you picked her name, how'd you do it?" Morgan questioned.

"I actually took your advice, Emily."

"You did?"

"What advice is this?"

"I stopped looking for a perfect meaning and just picked something that felt right."

She smiled. "I'm proud of you. The great Doctor Reid doesn't have to have _something_ in his life with the perfect explanation."

He shrugged. "It had to happen sooner or later, right?"

* * *

Hotch walked over. "Conference room in 5. Reid, come to the briefing and you can work with Garcia on the case."

He nodded, setting his current file down. As the rest of the team made their way to the conference room, he got up, stumbling.

Morgan turned to look at him. "You okay, Pretty Boy?"

He thought up something, quick. "Uh, yeah. Tripped over the edge of my desk. You know, at 31 weeks, clumsiness is increased due to the lack of concentration and the change in posture."

"Whatever you say, kid."

He sighed, putting his bag on his shoulder and walking to the conference room.

* * *

During the briefing, Spencer did his best to focus, but couldn't stop the feeling of dizziness. He didn't want to make it known, because then he'd either be sent home or taken to the doctor, even though they needed him on the case. He didn't want the team to be down a person this close to him being gone for several weeks.

"Reid? You okay?"

He looked up at Hotch, setting down the file. "Just tired."  
"After the briefing, lie down in JJ's office while Garcia starts researching the case."

"No problem."

"Small town in Oregon. Three children, all taken from their foster homes in the middle of the night. No sign of forced entry, nothing missing from the homes," Garcia started.

"What are the genders?" Spencer asked.

"All three were boys, between ages 6-10."

"No security footage, no enemies in the families?"

"I haven't been able to find anything."

Hotch sighed. "Wheels up in 20. Reid, go relax. Garcia, check the backgrounds on the foster families, as well as the biological parents. Look for anything suspicious."

* * *

Everyone picked up their folders and tablets and went back to their desks, and Spencer and Prentiss were the only ones left in the conference room.

"You okay, Reid?" she asked, collecting her things.

He nodded, putting his palms on the table and pushing himself up. He exhaled, sighing.

"Reid?" She walked over and stood beside him. "You sure you're okay?"

"I-I just…" he started, then he felt himself getting weaker. Luckily, Emily was beside him and caught him when he fainted.

"HOTCH, IT'S REID" she called, lowering him to the ground. She pressed two fingers against his neck as Hotch ran in.

"What happened?" he asked. She looked up to see everyone had run back into the room.

"He tried getting up and he fainted."

"Did he hit the ground?" Rossi asked, walking over.

She shook her head. "I got him before he could."

"Hotch what do we do?" Morgan asked. "We need to leave in 20 minutes."

He sighed, looking at the panic in his team's faces. "We get on the jet. Garcia, take him to the hospital, keep us updated."

"Should I call an ambulance and wait for it?"

"Like hell," Morgan said, picking him up. "Come on, baby girl. Grab your bag, I'll get him in the car," he looked back to his superior. "I'll be there on time. I promise."

Hotch nodded. "Go ahead."

Garcia rushed to her office to gather her things, then met Morgan at the elevator.

* * *

He laid Spencer down in the backseat, then got in himself.

"Derek-" Garcia started.

He started the car. "Be sure to update us as soon as they know anything."

"Of course…"

He pulled out and drove full speed to the hospital. When they finally got there, he looked at Garcia. "I'll carry him in for you, but then I have to go."

She nodded as he opened the backdoor.

"M-Morgan?" Spencer said in a whisper. "What happened?"

"You'll be fine, Pretty Boy. They're going to take care of you." He picked him up and walked inside, setting him in a waiting room chair. He then turned to Garcia. "He doesn't get a room in the next few minutes, I give you permission to go off on them."

"Like I need it," she said with a smile. "Be careful."

He nodded, grabbing the car keys from his pocket and walking inside.

Luckily for the hospital staff, and Garcia's sanity, he was taken into a room almost immediately. He was hooked up to a few monitors as a precautionary measure, and he'd fallen asleep from the exhaustion of the day. After talking to his doctor, Garcia called Morgan.

* * *

"Hey, Baby Girl, what's going on?"

"He's in a room and sleeping right now. The doctor didn't really get a chance to ask him questions first, so they're not sure what caused it. But we did do the right thing – his doctor had it on record that if he did faint during the pregnancy that he should be brought to a doctor immediately."

"But he's okay?" JJ asked. She sounded anxious. "And the baby?"

"Fret not, Jayje, baby budding genius is fine. Since Emily caught him and he didn't hit the ground, no problems with her. It's just the pregnancy taking its toll on his body, I guess."

"Let us know when you find anything out," Hotch said.

"Will do, sir," she said, before hanging up and walking back to his room.

* * *

Emily sighed. "Now I feel guilty."

"Em, you helped him and saved the baby from getting hurt. How does that warrant feeling guilty?"

"I just feel like we should've seen warning signs or something. Dizziness and fainting don't just… happen."

Morgan groaned. "Damnit."

JJ looked over at him. "What?"

"Before the briefing, he was getting up from his desk and stumbled. I just thought he tripped and didn't think anything of it. Then of course he justified it with the fact that 'clumsiness is common'."

"From now on, if anyone notices anything off about Reid, you come to me. Don't question him, don't put him on the spot, come directly to me, and I'll get to the bottom of it. Is that clear?"

They all looked over at Hotch.

"Why, because he can't lie to you?" Rossi asked.

"Exactly why. Are we agreed?"

They all nodded in agreement.

* * *

Sometime later on, Spencer woke up.

Garcia looked over and smiled. "Well, hello there."

He sighed, looking over at her.

"Feeling better?"

He nodded. "Much. What happened?" he mumbled.

"You fainted after the briefing." She looked at his face and saw him starting to worry. "But Emily caught you, lowered you down, checked your pulse, and Morgan drove us to the hospital."

He rested a hand on his bump, then looked over at her.

"Princess Prodigy is more than fine. I made them double and triple check."

He smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

* * *

His doctor walked in, and asked a few questions.

"Was this your first time fainting during your pregnancy?"

A nod.

"Have you been getting enough sleep at night?"

Another nod.

"Are you taking all of your vitamins?"

Another nod.

"Have you been eating right?"

Another nod.

"Was this your first time experiencing dizziness?"

A headshake.

"Reid…" Garcia started.

"I just, didn't want to make anyone worry about me."

"Oh, honey, that's why we're here. We care. We want to know you two are okay." She reached over and rubbed his back gently.

* * *

"We're going to keep you overnight, just to be sure there aren't any complications."

He sighed, but nodded.

"Is there anyone with you at home who can keep an eye on you? Maybe a parent or a roommate? In case something like this happens again."

He shook his head. "It's only me."

"…But I work with him, and live only a few blocks away. I could stop by and check on him if he and the baby need it," Garcia spat out.

He looked over to argue, but sighed, knowing that it was the best option.

* * *

After the doctor had left, she looked at him.

"Want me to go get you some decent food? Maybe a few things from your apartment?"

He chewed on his lip. "Can you just… stay? For a little bit, keep me company? If you have other plans, I understand."

She shook her head. "Only other thing I have to do is call the team and let them know you're okay. Unless you want to do that yourself. They're out to dinner, then they're going to the hotel for the night."

"Can I see your phone?"

She reached into her pocket, then handed it to him.

He thought to himself, and dialed JJ.

JJ checked her phone. "Hey, Pen, is sleepyhead up yet?"

"Is that a new nickname?"

She smiled. "Hey, Spence. How are you feeling?" She took the phone and put it on speaker.

"Pretty tired, and greatly disliking the smell of hospitals."

"What'd the doctor say?"

"They're keeping me overnight, just to confirm that there aren't any serious problems. Apparently the dizziness and headaches I was having weren't just symptoms that were going to go away. From here on out, I need to stick to a strict schedule on my medications and drink plenty of water, and they recommended a nap in the middle of my day, if possible. But I get it if I can't-"

"Reid, you're going to listen to your doctor's orders and take that nap in JJ's office. We only have you for another five weeks. We're not going to lose you any earlier than we have to."

"Thanks, Hotch. The doctor also suggested having people check in on me, but nobody has to do that part, I can take care of myself."

"Garcia, can you take that while the team's gone on cases?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"But Hotc-"

"I'll take Mondays, JJ on Tuesdays, Morgan on Wednesdays, Prentiss on Thursdays, Rossi on Fridays, Garcia on Saturdays, and we'll alternate who takes Sundays."

"Do I get a say in this?"

"We're not going to invade your personal space, Reid. Just checking in and making sure you're okay and you and the kid are safe," Rossi said.

He sighed. "Just promise me that nobody's actually staying in my apartment until 36 weeks, like we agreed."

"Should no more problems arise, I promise."

"How's my niece doing?"

"Fine, Jayje. She's down for a nap right now. Hopefully she stays down so I can get some sleep tonight."

"I'm gonna let you go so you can get some sleep. Call me if you need anything."

"Will do."

He hung up the phone and looked at Garcia.

"If you need to get home, I'll understand."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily. You need company and the only way I'm leaving is if they force me out. Now, off your back."

"Excuse me?"

"Roll on your side and get off your back. Last thing we need is more complications and you in the hospital again because you were sleeping on your back instead."

"And they call me paranoid?" he said, laying on his side and looking at her.

"Very funny."

"Thanks, Garcia. You didn't have to stay and take care of me."

"Of course I did. Now, can I ask you something without you getting upset?"

"Sure."

"We both know who the baby daddy is. I know you know that he doesn't remember making her and that's why you don't want to bother him. But… shouldn't you at least give him the chance?"

He took a deep breath, sighing. "I've thought about it. I really have. I just. I need to know I can do this alone. That I don't need to go running to him for help because I can't handle it. I know both of us are responsible for her, but he's not going to be on the birth certificate because I don't want to tie him down to a one night stand."

"What if he wants to be?"

He shrugged.

"Just, please promise me if you're in way over your head, he'll at least know."

He bit his lip. "I'll tell him after she's born. And he can take it from there. Deal?"

"Deal. Now get some sleep, young genius. We've got a long day tomorrow."


	38. Curiosity

When Spencer was released the next morning, he wanted to go right to work. Garcia refused, and insisted that he go home to shower and change first. After a few minutes of the subject being up for debate, he finally caved in, realizing that she wouldn't stop. Once they got to his apartment, she sat down on the couch.

"Take your time, Prodigy. If you feel lightheaded at all, you'd better call me and let me know."

"Will do," he called from the bedroom. "I'm going to be in your office with you, right?"

"I'm afraid you're stuck with me until you're out of there."

He smiled, taking out his outfit for the day and walking out. "The TV remote's on the sidetable, and you can help yourself to anything. Also I know you're going to anyway, so feel free to go through the nursery and move anything you think doesn't look right."

"You know me so well."

He shrugged. "Knowing someone for over seven years teaches you a few things," he said, before walking to the bathroom and closing the door.

While he was in the shower, she went over to the nursery, looking around at his handy work. She had to say, everything he did looked pretty well organized, and she didn't have any corrections to make. She looked in the small bag in the corner and realized that he'd already packed her bag for the hospital. Letting her nosiness get the best of her, she opened the bag and looked through. Unsurprisingly, she found a book of fairy tales at the bottom of the bag. Besides that, she found he had everything: mittens, booties, a few outfits, socks, onesies, a card from his mother, one of the outfits she'd given him as a going home outfit, and something that surprised her: a blanket with the letters PDR stitched into it. She smiled, tracing her finger over the letters.

* * *

"…What are you doing?"

She looked behind her to see Spencer with a robe on, drying out his hair with a towel.

"Sorry! Curiosity killed the cat. I couldn't stop myself from looking through her hospital bag. I'm sorry!" she packed the bag back up, setting it down.

"You didn't look at the card, did you?"

"What? No. It looked personal. I didn't open it."

"It's from my mom… that and the blanket. She wanted me to wait to read it until I could read it to her. And she had a blanket just like that for me when I was a baby, with the initials stitched in and everything."

"She's excited to be a grandmother, isn't she?"

"On the good days where she remembers. I had one of the nurses call me and tell me that she was already telling the other patients all about her son the doctor having a granddaughter that would be visiting soon."

"So… are you going to tell me what the PD stands for? I know you wouldn't do Persephone or Penelope – the name is pretty amazing, but come on, she'll have a lot to live up to."

He shook his head. "You'll find out when she makes her debut."

"Not even a hint?"

"Sorry. Not even a little one," he said, before walking to his room to get changed.

* * *

Garcia took out her phone, checking the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hello? No typical Garcia greeting? I'm disappointed."

She smiled. "Sorry, sir. It was sort of a long night."

"How's he doing?"

"Doctor saw no reason to keep him this morning, so she let him go, but I'll keep an eye on him, make sure nothing else goes wrong."

"Are you going into work?"

"He's just getting ready in his bedroom right now, then we'll be in my office and give you a call."

"Be sure to tell me if there are any problems."

"Will do," she said, before hanging up.

* * *

"Okay in there, smart guy?"

He groaned. "Not a word. Promise?"

"Why?"

He walked out, his button up shirt barely reaching the middle of his bump. She bit her lip, putting a hand over her mouth.

"Garcia, not a word."

"I'm not saying anything!"

He sighed, pulling his jacket over and buttoning. "9 more weeks and I can go back to wearing normal clothes without feeling like I swallowed a watermelon, whole. Though I don't get why people use that expression, considering that it's impossible, even if you break your jaw, to fit a whole watermelon in your mouth, let alone swallow it without killing yourself."

She shook her head, handing him his bag. "Let's get going, prodigy, we've got work to do."

He put his bag over his shoulder, following her out of the apartment.

* * *

As they walked into the office, she was lecturing him.

"You _need_ to get a new car. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to let Princess Prodigy be driven around in that 1950's death trap."

"It's a 1960's Volvo Amazon, and it's not a death trap."

"You're going to be a parent. You need a parent car."

"Just because I'm having a baby, doesn't mean I'm going to force myself to drive a minivan with those little vinyl family members on the back window."

"You don't need to drive a minivan – oh but whatever you get, you should totally get those stickers! I'll find the perfect ones, I swear."

He rolled his eyes with a stern "No" while he poured the hot water into his cup.

"Fine, but promise me you'll at least get yourself a dependable car somewhere down the road."

"I'll look, how's that?"

"Good. For now."

* * *

He sipped his tea. "So, to your office?"

She nodded. "I made a few changes. I think you're going to like it."

"I feel like I should be frightened."

"Nonsense, now come on," she said, leading the way to her office. When they arrived at the door, she stopped.

"…What?"

"I'd like to let it be known I don't like anyone being in my office, let alone allowing them any personal space. When Kevin was in here, he's lucky I was too weak from the gunshot wound to kill him."

"Okay?"

She opened the door and what he saw amazed him. She had her usual set-up in the corner, but off to the side in front of some of the monitors, she had set up a desk area for him. He walked up, set his tea down on a coaster, and looked around. She'd put up some of the sonogram pictures in frames, and decorated it with little figurines and comic book action figures.

"It's about time you get your own fun zone." She flipped a switch and turned on a set of white Christmas lights.

He smiled, taking off his jacket and setting it on the back of the chair. "This is perfect. Thanks, Garcia."

"You're going to be stuck with me, you might as well be comfortable," she said with a wink.

He sat down, resting his hand on his bump. "I think she likes it, too."

* * *

She sat in her own chair, putting the phone on speaker and calling Morgan.

"Hey, Baby Girl, what's going on?"

"You've got me and the Princess Carrier, at your service."

"Princess Carrier? Come on, that's just not fair, Garcia."

She pointed a finger at him. "I will banish you to the corner."

He sighed. "Fine. But I expect a more creative name to come up before these five weeks are over."

"Agreed."

"So are you two settling in okay?"

"Absolutely peachy."

"Okay, Baby Girl. I'm gonna need you to do what Hotch asked yesterday: look up the former foster homes and the biological families of the three boys; see if you can find a record or anything incriminating."

"Can do, and I'll have the help of Baby Baking Brainiac."

"And suddenly, I have no problem with Princess Carrier."

"You two behave yourselves."

"I will to the best of my ability."

He shook his head, hanging up the phone.

* * *

Reid scanned the documents that Garcia had pulled up on the first family, while she looked on the other two.

"Why didn't they give us something more complicated? I mean, come on, obviously if they're in foster care, there's something wrong with the biological parents. That's why they're in foster care," she said as she scrolled through. "The second father was a drug addict who failed at getting clean and the mother's a former prostitute. Both strung out and crazy, they're both going to be pissed at the system for taking their son away."

"Each of them has a motive, but not enough of a motive to take three boys from three homes. And all of this is the work of the same unsub."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Well, each of the biological parents would want their son, and only their son. They wouldn't waste their time taking two more boys when they just want to reunite their families. Besides, if you need any further proof, the mother in the first family in jail, and the father committed suicide last year."

"Touché, my clever protégé."

"Protégé?"

"I could go back to Baby Baking Brainiac."

"Nevermind."

He rolled his chair over to the map on the wall, putting in pins. "Okay, so the first house is the blue pin, second is the red, and the third is the yellow. They weren't exactly in the same neighborhood, so it's not like they could've been three random abductions. Then again, the fact that they were all foster children shows that there was definite strategy behind the kidnappings. The question is, why? The unsub had some reason or logic behind it, but what could it be?"

* * *

He dug his phone out of his pocket and answered.

"Hey, Hotch."

"Did you find anything yet?"

"Based on the biological families and the foster families, absolutely nothing. None of these parents would have the motive to take any child except their own, and one of the children, one biological parent is in jail and the other committed suicide. We have nothing to go on as of right now. Not even the geographic profile says something. They weren't even close to the same neighborhood, but definitely well planned considering there were no signs of forced entry and they were able to get in and out without alerting any of the family."

Hotch sighed. Spencer knew that wasn't the answer he was hoping for.

"We've got a cold trail in each of the homes – this unsub definitely knew what he was doing. I have Morgan, Prentiss, and JJ interviewing the families, hoping they can figure something out we haven't alreaIdy. See if you can dig anything else up, I'll keep you posted."

"No problem, Hotch."

"Garcia driving you crazy yet?"

"Not quite. We'll see how this case goes."

"Don't forget to take a nap after lunch: put your feet up and relax. I'll have Garcia report back to me if you don't."

"I will."


	39. Solved

Unfortunately, this case wasn't an easy one. It had been nine days and they still hadn't found the boys. Fortunately though, none of their bodies had turned up yet, which had given them hope that the boys were still safe.

When Spencer showed up to work over an hour late, Garcia was ready to rip his head off.

"And where have you been?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're one hour and twenty minutes late."

"I had a doctor's appointment. I told you about it last night when you stopped by to check in on me."

She looked through her datebook, and landed on today's date.

"Regardless, you should've called and reminded me."

"Sorry," he started, reaching in his bag and holding out a sonogram. "Will looking at a 3D sonogram help you in forgiving me?"

She quickly snatched it, smiling at the image and tracing her finger over it. "Look at her little face!"

He smiled, sitting down at his desk and setting his tea down.

"How much longer is it now?"

"I'm 32 weeks as of Monday."

"And what's with the new fashion?"

He looked down at his t-shirt. "What? You try finding a button down that's long enough to fit over a belly this big. It's impossible. Trust me, I spent an hour at department stores on Saturday trying to find at least one that fit."

"What if Strauss sees you dressed down?"

"If she doesn't have an issue with you looking like a tangerine, a pretty one but a tangerine nonetheless, then I think I can get away with a t-shirt."

"Touché."

"And if god forbid she does have a problem, with these hormones, I'll be tempted to pull that uptight stick out of her ass and beat her with it."

She smiled, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Remind me to never piss you off."

He shrugged. "Anything new?"

"Nada. But Hotch wanted me to tell you when to call as soon as you got in."

"Great," he said, reaching in his bag and taking out the doctor's note, handing it to Garcia. "You can vouch for me that you saw my doctor cleared me until 36 weeks."

"Sure thing."

* * *

He reached over to the phone, pressing Hotch's speed dial and putting the phone on speaker.

"Hotchner."

"Garcia said you wanted me to call?"

"How did your doctor's appointment go?"

"Good, fine, great actually. The doctor says it looks like she's going to last until the scheduled c-section date and she's perfectly healthy and on track to be a healthy newborn."

"Did you get your doctor's note?"

"Yes he did, sir, I'm looking at it right now. It says that he's cleared to stay with us until his 36th week, which is approximately a month from this past Monday." He looked over to see Garcia putting the latest sonogram into a frame, beside the 3D sonogram she had of Henry.

"Hotch, do we have anything else on this case?"

"We're sending the notes from the interviews your way. No other boys have been kidnapped and each kidnapping was before we got here. Not to mention they were in the middle of the night so nobody saw anything."

Spencer sighed. "Fantastic, let us know when you find anything new."

"Will do."

He hung up, groaning. "So basically, this guy is way too good at covering his tracks and we're screwed."

Garcia reached over, rubbing his back. "You know we can't think like that."

"But they're KIDS, Garcia. They're out of their home, they're not going to school, and they're not seeing their friends. They're probably scared and alone and just want to see their foster parents again."

He wasn't sure what, but something he'd said made a light bulb go off in her head. She was furiously typing on her computer, trying to find something, though he had absolutely no idea what could've sparked it.

* * *

"Boy Wonder, you've done it again."

"Excuse me?"

She pressed the speed dial button for Morgan.

"What've you got for me, Pretty Lady?"

She smiled. "I have the first boy marked as present at school yesterday. He was present for all of his classes and got on the bus after school."

Reid looked over, confused. "So he kidnapped the child, just to keep sending him to school? That makes no sense. Why aren't the other two going too?"

"According to the interviews from the family, Pretty Boy, he's quite the little genius. He skipped a grade and was always getting extra credit, even though he had 100% on everything he did."

"…So he was taken by someone who understands the importance of academics?"

"Well, the other two boys aren't great students. Now, Morgan, I'm willing to bet he's present at school again today, too."

"Have I told you lately that I love you, Baby Girl?"

"Not yet today."

"Let me know if you can dig up anything else."

* * *

She hung up, looking satisfied with herself.

"How on earth did that come up as something to consider?"

"What? You saying he wasn't at school helped me remember something from the first interview: the first boy was a bookworm, so I decided to do some snooping and look at the school's records. The unsub's a dumbass, but he's not totally heartless if he's letting the kid do what he wants."

"But how did the school not catch on to this? A kidnapped boy showing up at school after 8 days of being missing?"

"Easy. They've been very good at not getting media attention on the story. The unsub obviously isn't begging for attention if he took kids who are in foster homes. If he wanted his name in lights and his face everywhere, he'd have taken a peewee football star or something."

"Garcia, you're scaring me. You're starting to sound far too much like me."

"I know, it's scaring me too… please get over your serious case of baby brain. I can not handle spending your entire leave being you. Just that five minutes was exhausting."

He smiled. "You learn to live with it."

* * *

A while later, they'd gotten an update from the team. The boy had been found in his English class, and they took him to the station for questioning, including sitting down with a sketch artist.

"Well, Ms. Garcia, I believe you just cracked this case all on your own." Spencer commented, resting a hand on his bump.

She smiled. "Oh, come on, I had a little help. If you hadn't said what you said that very moment, it wouldn't have happened."

He shrugged. "I guess we make a good team."

"Spencer Reid, I would be _honored_ to work with you on a daily basis when you get back from delivering the cutest baby girl I've ever seen."

"Well, technically, I'm not delivering her – more like having her taken from my abdomen."

"Don't ruin the moment."

"Sorry."

* * *

"You okay today, genius?"

He nodded, inhaling deeply and resting a hand on his bump.

"I swear to god, if you're the second person on this team to go into labor in my office, I'm not going to be happy."

"…JJ didn't go into labor in your office?"

"Not the point. If you're in labor-"

"I'm not." She looked at him. "I promise, I'm not!"

"Then what's wrong?"

"Braxton-Hicks contractions." She looked at him again. "I swear it. They're not painful, just annoying. And there's only means to be concerned if there's more than four in an hour or if they don't go away after moving. Most I have is two an hour and they go away when I change my position."

"Uh huh. It's about time for you to go lay down. Off to JJ's office."

"But-"

"But nothing. I'll order dinner and have it here when you get up. The two of you need to relax."

"Promise to wake me if you need me for anything case related?"

"I promise. Now go."

He pushed himself out of the chair and walked to JJ's office, laying on her couch and curling up on his side. He pulled a pillow over and rested his head on it, then pulled the blanket over him. He rested his hand on the underside of his bump and fell asleep.

* * *

"Come on, Jayje, just let me take one picture."

"Pen, remember the one time you called my bump 'cute' when I was that far along?"

"Come on, he's not that snippy. Though he did threaten to hurt Strauss earlier."

"He did?"

"It was absolutely hilarious, I wish you'd been here."

"Well we're wrapping up the case and we'll be flying home in a few hours."

"He's already been sleeping two hours. If I can't take a picture, can I at least wake him up?"

"You will do no such thing!"

"She's looking pretty pissed, Baby Girl, you'd better stop."

She groaned.

"If he's not up in the next half hour or so, wake him up and take him home. I'll stop by on my way back from the airstrip to check on him so you can get yourself home and relax."

"I can do it."

"You've done it every day for the past week and a half. Give yourself a break."

"Fine."

"Did he tell you how his appointment went?"

"The little genius is fine, on track to being healthy, and the doctor says he's more likely than not making it to the scheduled c-section date."

"How's he doing?"

She smiled. "Well, he tried wearing his button ups to work and it was so adorable. They didn't even reach halfway down his bump and he could barely cover it with his jacket. Now he's walking around in plain t-shirts and it's kind of hilarious to see him dressed down."

JJ rolled her eyes. "I'll be home in a few hours. Both of you get home soon and get some sleep. Well, you get sleep, he needs to get more sleep."

"No problem, Jayje, see you at work tomorrow. Safe flight."

* * *

After he slept another half hour, Garcia went in to wake him up.

"Rise and shine, boy genius. It's after dark and time to get you home."

He sat up on the couch, stretching. "The case over?"

"Yep. Based on my hunch, the boy was at school, he met with a sketch artist and helped us find the other two. The team's flying home now."

He nodded, rubbing his eyes.

"Come on, let's get you and the rugrat home."

She helped him off the couch, handed him his bag, grabbed his food, and they made their way out to her car.

When they pulled up to his apartment, he looked over at her. "Thanks, Garcia."

"Anytime. Now get inside, get some food in you, and get the two of you into bed."

He picked up his bag and his food, getting out and closing the door behind him. After he made it into his apartment, he picked at his food and didn't bother to change before climbing onto his bed to fall asleep.

* * *

A few hours later, JJ pulled up in front of his apartment. She took out her spare key, walking inside. Once inside, she was surprised to see that he'd left his food half-eaten and on the counter. When she walked into the bedroom, she could see why. He was curled up on top of the blankets, still fully clothed.

She walked over and shook his arm.

"Spence," she whispered softly, rubbing his back.

He looked up at her, sighing. "What time is it?"

"A little after midnight. Sorry to wake you, just wanted to let you know I checked in. You should get some pajamas on too, get more comfortable."

He looked down at his clothes, and sighed. "Help me up?" he asked, holding out his hand.

She smiled, pulling him up. "How about you go get changed and I'll tuck you in?"

"Sounds… great." He rummaged through his drawer and grabbed the first pair of pajama pants he found, as well as a clean t-shirt and a pair of boxers.

Once he'd made it back to the bedroom, he got on the bed and curled up on his side.

"Jayje?"

"What is it, Spence?" she asked, pulling the blankets over him and fluffing his pillow.

"Thanks for checking up on me."

She smiled, running a hand through his hair. "Anytime. I'm gonna go tidy up your apartment a bit, then head home."

"You don't have to do that."

"It's no trouble at all. I'll be out in a few minutes. Get some sleep."

He nodded, tucking his arm under the pillow and falling asleep. After she put the food from earlier in the fridge and set his shoes by the front door, where he preferred them so he could easily slip them on on his way out the door, she left, locking the door behind her.


	40. Last Day

Before Spencer knew it, he was 36 weeks pregnant: the one point of the pregnancy he was dreading. He wasn't ready to sit at home patiently and play the waiting game. He'd much rather be at work, helping with cases. He was now seeing his doctor every week, and he was advised that this week at work would be his last.

When he went into work on his last day, he wanted to find a way to fuse himself to his desk, so he couldn't leave. He walked over to his desk, setting his bag down and sitting down, groaning. He looked around and none of his team members were at their desks. Instead, they were gathered in the conference room. He knew exactly what they were doing – seeing who was drawing the short straw and staying with him at his apartment tonight, in case any problems happen.

* * *

Garcia picked up a dry-erase marker, walking over to the board.

"Okay, so we've got 28 days to fill with staying at the Boy Wonder's place. Obviously if you guys take off on a case, I'll be at his apartment those days. JJ's requested off the day before, of, and after the day he's going into the hospital," she wrote down her name in those spaces, "so now we just need to fill in the blanks for the rest. Hotch, you're excused from this, since you need to be home for Jack. And Rossi, you're excused from this based on the simple fact you're a child-phobe."

"Then why am I here?"

Garcia ignored him. "Emily, what days can you do?"

She thought to herself. "I can take… Mondays and Tuesdays. I'll have someone in my building peek into my apartment to check on Sergio those days."

"Perfect!" She wrote Emily's name in. "And my russet god of thunder?"

Morgan looked over the schedule. "JJ's got Wednesdays and Sundays? I guess I'll take Thursday and Friday?"

"Then that leaves me on Saturdays, and filling in on any days you guys can't make it." She walked over to her tablet and typed up the document. "And that is all on your tablets… now."

They all separated, walking to their respective desks and offices.

* * *

"Hey, Reid," Emily said, setting her things down on her desk. "You okay?"

He nodded. "Fine," he sipped his tea and set it back down, "who drew the short stick?"

"The schedule's on your tablet. How goes the car search?"

"I was able to sell my old one to a guy interested in antiques, and with the money, I picked up a nice little car, which has more than enough space for me and the baby."

"You sold the Volvo?"

He shrugged. "I needed a safer car for us." He looked at his tablet and checked the schedule. "You guys really don't have to babysit me."

"It's not babysitting. You live on your own and if something goes wrong and you can't reach a phone, the both of you will need someone."

"Just feels like a bit of my independence is being taken away."

"But it's not. We're just there as support. We're not going to interrupt with what's going on in your daily life. You can do whatever you do normally, you'll just have one of us there as a safety precaution."

He scanned the schedule again. "Morgan, Garcia, JJ, and then you. This is definitely going to be interesting. So are you guys meeting up with me after I get home, or going home with me, or what?"

"We are not letting you take the subway anymore, Pretty Boy. The game plan is driving you home and sleeping on your couch, just in case something happens in the middle of the night."

He sighed. "Sounds great."

* * *

When it was the middle of the day, he went to JJ's office, knocking.

"It's open."

He walked in, setting his bag down.

"Feeling okay?"

He sighed, sitting on the couch. "Do we really need this system in place for me to have a babysitter?"

"Spence, it's not a babysitter. It's a precautionary measure. We don't want you or her to get into any trouble and not have someone there to help you. With how attached you are to her, you know you don't want anything to go wrong."

He hated when he was proven wrong. He looked at the couch. "Do you mind? I'm exhausted."

"Be my guest."

He kicked off his shoes, setting them beside the couch.

"I have to say, Spence, the t-shirt is quite the look for you."

"Very funny. They make plenty of dress clothes for pregnant women. For men, it's like – a needle in a needle stack."

She smiled, shaking her head as he fluffed the pillow and curled up on his side. Once he'd fallen asleep, she walked over and put the blanket over him.

* * *

After he got up from his nap, he sat up, stretching.

"No case?"

She shook her head. "Seems like a very mediocre last day for you around here."

He groaned. "Damn." He pushed himself off the couch, slipped on his shoes, and picked up his bag. "What happens if there's a case and I go into labor? Or you're gone on the day I'm supposed to go in?"

"If I'm on a case far away, I have permission from Hotch to get on the jet and fly home to be with you, considering I'm the closest to family you have and nobody deserves to have to go through it alone. As for the day you're going in? I've requested off the day before, of, and after, so there's no possible way I can miss it."

He smiled. "You're amazing, Jayje."

* * *

He walked out to his desk to see a gift bag on his desk.

"Garcia, you've got to stop with the gifts. Something tells me you won't make your rent if you keep this up."

"Then maybe, I'll just have to live with you."

"Scary thought," Morgan said, not looking up from his files.

He sat down, picking up the bag and looking through. Inside were several seasons of Doctor Who, as well as several of the movies based on Marvel Comics.

"You're going to be stuck at home with nothing to do for four weeks. You might as well have something to do."

He smiled, slipping the movies into his bag. "Thank you."

* * *

Spencer was hoping his day would go by extremely slow. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and his last day was over before he knew it. He buried his head in his hands, rubbing his temples and sighing.

"What is it, Spence?" JJ asked, sitting on the edge of the desk. "You okay?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

She pushed his chin up with her finger. "Morgan's downstairs in his car waiting for you. It's just the two of us. Nobody else can see or hear us. What's wrong?"

He bit his lip, fighting back tears. "I knew this day would come, but I'm just not ready for it. Working was the one thing I had to focus on to get my mind off of everything that's going to happen, and now that I don't have that, I'm terrified."

She reached over, rubbing his back. "You're going to be fine. And if you need someone to talk to while you're sitting at home, you can call me. You just need to stop worrying about her coming and think of it as something exciting. In the next four weeks, you're going to have your daughter. And she's going to love you, no matter what."

"How do I do it? Go from working every day to just doing nothing."

"I'm sure for you, it's definitely going to be an adjustment." She reached over and grabbed a box of tissues off Emily's desk, holding it out to him. "I'm sure you can find a way though. You'll find something to occupy your time and keep you from going crazy."

He sighed, wiping his eyes and standing up. "Are you going to miss me?"

She smiled. "Terribly."

He walked over to the elevator, pressing the button. "Am I allowed to visit with her after she's born?"

"No… but we all know I did it anyway."

* * *

When they got into the elevator, she looked over at him.

"I have something to say, but I don't want you to get offended or take it as an insult."

"Okay?"

"Well, I know how difficult it is with a newborn at home, and I know how much you need help sometimes without wanting to ask."

"Am I going to like where this is going?"

"You don't have to, but I'm putting the offer on the table. If you ever feel too stressed out or that you need help, Will and I are always going to be available. We've been there and we know how hard it is. I don't want you thinking you can handle it and freaking out. I had plenty of breakdowns after Henry was born, and if you feel one coming on, I want you to call me."

He sighed, nodding. "I will. Promise."

"Garcia told me you're going to let the other father know after she's born?"

"Yeah, she wanted to tell him herself, but I figured it'd be better coming from me."

"What are you going to do if he wants to be involved?"

"…I'll worry about that if it actually happens."

* * *

Once they made it outside, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

"Take care of yourself, Spence."

"I promise," he said, rubbing her back. "You won't just visit when it's your nights, right? You'll still pop by and see me?"

"Of course."

He smiled, walking over to Morgan's car, putting his bag in the backseat, and getting in.

"Ready to go, Pretty Boy?"

He nodded, fastening his seatbelt.

Morgan started the car, pulling out of the parking lot.


	41. Watching Spencer

When they made it to his apartment, Morgan set his bag down beside the couch while Spencer went to the kitchen, looking through the cabinets.

"What are you doing?"

"Making dinner?" he said, as if it was obvious. "Do you like pasta?"

"Sure you don't need any help?"

He glared at him. "What? I can't handle boiling water?"

He put his hands up defensively. "Nevermind."

He filled a pot with water and put it on the stove, and poured sauce into a separate pan. He turned the knobs and leaned against the counter. He looked over to see Morgan had made himself comfortable, watching the baseball game on the couch.

* * *

A few minutes later, Spencer stood on his tiptoes, trying to reach a box of pasta. He groaned and dragged over a chair.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting my food off the shelf."

Morgan walked over, pulling the chair away. "That's your first strike, so I'm not going to tell Garcia." He reached on the top shelf and set the pasta on the counter.

He opened the box, splitting the pasta in half and throwing it in the pan with the water. He set the timer, sighing. "Sorry. Having someone at the apartment to help is going to take some getting used to."

"Don't worry about it."

* * *

He looked at his calendar, then called Prentiss.

"Hey, Reid. Morgan driving you crazy already?"

"Not quite yet. I actually sort of have a favor to ask of you, if it's not too much trouble?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Well, you have Monday and Tuesday night here, right?"

"Yeah."

"I have a doctor's appointment Tuesday morning, before you'd have to be at work. If not I understand, but I was wondering if I could get a ride? I could take a train or a cab back."

"Why, so Garcia can kill me? No thank you."

"What?"

"On Tuesday morning, I'll drive you to your appointment, wait, and drive you back. You're not going to make me late, and if you do, I'll have Garcia take care of whoever has a problem with it."

"Are you sure?"

"It's no trouble."

"Thanks, Emily. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, now go enjoy your bonding time with Morgan. I'm sure I'll hear all about it on Monday."

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

"See you Monday night," she said, before hanging up.

* * *

When the timer went off, he reached over to grab the pan and strain the pasta. Unfortunately, Morgan got there first, taking the pan from his reach and draining it in the colander in the sink.

"I could've gotten it," he said, annoyed.

"Why, so with your added clumsiness in the pregnancy, you could trip and spill boiling hot water all over yourself?"

"For your information, clumsiness isn't a common symptom in the 36th week. The most common ones include changes in fetal activity, heartburn, an itchy abdomen, swelling, trouble sleeping, fatigue, and an increase in energy."

"More information than I needed, but thanks."

Spencer reached over, grabbing the colander from the sink. He poured the pasta into a bowl, poured in the sauce, and added the vegetables. He reached in the cabinet, handing Morgan a plate.

"Dinner's served," he said, spooning a pile of pasta onto his own plate.

* * *

Later that night, Morgan was fast asleep on the couch. Unfortunately, Spencer was having no such luck. There was constant tossing and turning, while he tried to choose which side felt good enough to sleep on. After several minutes, he realized the problem was a lack of fresh air in his bedroom. He tried getting out of bed, but was very unsuccessful. Finally, he did the very last thing he wanted to do.

"Hey, Morgan?" he called, sighing."Morgan…"

It took a few minutes, but once it registered in his head that Spencer was calling him, he sprung off the couch and rushed for his room.

"What's wrong, Pretty Boy?"

He groaned. "Nothing, I just can't get up and get the stupid window open."

Morgan sighed. "From now on, we need to have a code system in place. You say one thing for little things, and another for baby-related things. That way I know how fast I need to get off that couch."

"I'm really sorry…"

He walked over, unlocking the window and cracking it open. "Anything else?"

Spencer shook his head. "Get back to sleep. Again, I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Morgan said, before yawning and making his way back to the couch.

* * *

When JJ came in on Monday morning, she looked exhausted.

"Wonderful night with Pretty Boy?"

"It's like pregnancy 2.0, only this time someone else is doing all the dirty work."

"What did it in for you?"

"I love him dearly, but if I heard that mattress squeak one more time from him shifting his position, I might've smothered him. I may be his big sister, but I need my sleep too."

"For me, it was the window. Opened it once – not enough. Then when I pushed it open further, it was too much. He's like the Goldilocks of windows. At least he made me dinner so I didn't need to order takeout."

"We had tacos, what about you?"

"Spaghetti."

"Boy Wonder made us pork on Saturday," Garcia said, walking over and handing JJ her coffee mug. "And you know he'd change annoying you with the little things if he could. It's just kind of impossible for him to get out of bed to do them for himself. Which is kind of why we're there. Not only if he runs into issues with the little one, but also if he needs something done he can't do on his own, like getting something off of a top shelf or moving something."

"So you're saying he didn't annoy you one bit, Baby Girl?"

She thought back, then shook her head. "Nothing's sticking out. He went to sleep pretty early Saturday night, which meant I got to stay up on the couch and watch Saturday Night Live."

Prentiss walked over to her desk. "Okay, scale of 1-10, tonight's my first night with Reid, how scared should I be?"

JJ thought about it. "Well, today he's officially in his 37th week, so I'm sure he'll share with you how much the baby's grown and what's going on in his body. Then talk about his appointment tomorrow."

"I know about that one, I'm taking him. He wanted me to just drop him off, can you believe that? I wouldn't trust me on a subway, let alone him being 37 weeks pregnant."

"It's all a part of his 'I don't want to inconvenience anyone' mindset," Morgan said. "He tries doing everything alone so he doesn't have to 'bother' other people with his problems."

"Anyway, yes or no, should I be scared?"

"He makes you dinner and lets you choose what you guys watch on TV," Garcia suggested.

"That bad, huh?"

Morgan nodded, and Garcia flicked his ear.

"As you'd expect a pregnant guy with limited independence to be," JJ said. "He has his moments but other than that, he's the same old Reid."

She sighed. "This is definitely going to be interesting."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Rude comments will immediately be deleted/not be approved. I can't please everyone, and believe me, I'm not going to attempt to - then who KNOWS where this story would be. I was going to leave this alone, but it's honestly getting ridiculous.


	42. Emily's Night

When Emily arrived at Spencer's apartment after work, she saw the door was open. She raised her eyebrow, keeping a hand on her gun.

"Reid?"

She pushed the door open, walking around the apartment. It was exactly what she'd expected: small and with several boxes in corners labeled 'books'. She walked into the kitchen, and saw Spencer, sitting on the floor in front of the cabinets.

"…What are you doing?"

"Organizing."

"Come again?"

He pulled all the pans out of the bottom cabinet, and started organizing them by height and depth. "Everything's so out of order under here. It's bothering me."

"You're nesting, aren't you?"

"Little bit," he said, stacking the pans and putting them back in the cabinet. "I ordered Chinese for dinner, I'm sure you don't mind."

She shook her head. "Not at all. Do you need help getting up?"

He made several attempts at getting off the kitchen floor, but ultimately, accepted the help, putting his hand out. She pulled him up.

"Did you clean the _entire_ apartment today?"

"As much as I could, anyway. You wouldn't believe some of the dust in this place."

"No heavy lifting, right?"

He shook his head. "I'm fully convinced Garcia somehow snuck hidden cameras in here during her stay, so I'm scared to do anything that might have her yell at me."

"Wise decision."

* * *

After dinner, Emily cleaned up the mess while Spencer relaxed on the couch.

"So, what time's your appointment tomorrow?"

"8:00 a.m."

"And what's this appointment about, anyway?"

He shrugged. "At 36 weeks, you need to start going weekly. Basically, this appointment is checking on me, checking on her movements, a physical, warning signs of labor, and ending it with questions about labor."

"Sounds like too much fun that early in the morning."

"It's what I have to do. I'm sort of used to it."

"Do you need company…?" she asked cautiously. She knew the response would be one of two things – him wanting her to join him, or him being insulted that she'd even ask such a question.

He looked up at her. "You'd really do that?"

"If you'd like me to. What else do I have to do that early in the morning? I'm sure none of the magazines in the waiting room are entertaining enough to keep me awake."

"Well, if you want to come in and keep me company, I guess I'm okay with that."

"No problem. Should I wake you in the morning?"

"I have an alarm set for 7:00 to get up and start getting ready. If I'm not up and moving by 7:15, can you come get me out of bed?"

"Of course. Why don't you go take a shower and relax in your room. I'll just straighten up in here and get comfortable on the couch."

"You sure?"

"Go on. I've got it."

He nodded, walking to his bedroom.

* * *

In the morning, Emily woke up early and decided to make some breakfast. She set out some toast, pancakes, and scrambled eggs. After a few minutes, she heard a very tired Spencer get out of bed. When he walked into the kitchen, she looked over.

"Morning, sunshine," she said, sipping her coffee.

He checked the clock on the wall and sighed. "I didn't have to be up for another ten minutes."

"I'm sorry, I thought you'd want some breakfast…"

He put his hand up. "But I can get up early if it means someone made me a good breakfast."

She smiled, setting his plate down on the table. "Eat up. And I'm under strict rules by JJ to make sure you take your vitamins and drink plenty of water beforehand."

He nodded, sitting in his seat, opening the pill container, and putting the pills in his mouth, swallowing. "Definitely not going to miss these in a few weeks."

"What, you don't enjoy a few good horse pills in the morning?"

He shook his head, cutting into his pancakes.

* * *

Once they finished breakfast, she picked up the plates.

"Now, get yourself dressed. Don't want to be late."

"Promise me that if I wear sweats, no photos or evidence of it get back to Garcia?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Okay?"

"She thinks I'd be 'cute' in sweatpants."

"Of course she does."

He half-smiled, walking to his room and closing the door.

* * *

When he walked out, Emily looked over.

"Oh, wow."

"Remember, not a word."

"Sorry, you just look so… _different_. I never thought I'd see the great Dr. Reid looking so casual."

"Well, I'm sure you never thought you'd see the great Dr. Reid 37 weeks pregnant, either."

"True. Ready to go?"

He nodded, slipping on his shoes.

"What, no bag?"

"Why? I'm coming right back home to my books and don't have any work to carry around."

"Yeah, this is definitely going to take getting used to," she said, grabbing the car keys off the table and walking outside.

* * *

When they got to the doctor's office and Spencer gave his name, he grabbed a seat beside Emily.

"They haven't changed any of the magazines within the past week. I read all of these last Monday."

"Can you tell me which ones are worth the read?"

"In my opinion, none of them. I don't know what a 'Brangelina' is, but the gossip magazines seem especially interested in the topic. And involving them, some woman named Jennifer who's supposedly 'jealous'."

"Oh, Reid. So genius, yet so naïve," she said, picking up a magazine and flipping through.

He shrugged, looking around the waiting room. It was somewhat comforting to see another pregnant man there, even though he was pretty sure he was intimidating him by his size.

"Spencer Reid?" one of the nurses called. Emily set down her magazine and looked at him.

"You still sure you want me to go with you?"

He nodded, pushing himself out of the chair and stretching. "Definitely. These appointments are a little nerve-wracking."

She smiled. "We've survived a hostage situation, I think you can survive a 37-week checkup."

"Only one way to find out," he said, following the nurse inside.

* * *

After they were situated in the room, she looked over at him.

"Are you nervous?"

"About what?"

"I don't know, everything."

"The only thing I'm seriously worried about is going into labor when nobody's here. Every time you guys are called on a case, I worry that something's going to go wrong and I'll be alone. With my luck, the one case you guys are going to need Garcia is the one time something's going to happen."

"Yeah, like Garcia's going to let us take her anywhere with you being this pregnant."

He shrugged. "I'm fine with the whole parenting thing. That's just the one thing that freaks me out overall."

"We'll figure something out. Hotch is basically your father, and he'd never leave you to fend for yourself."

* * *

They both looked up as his doctor walked in. He ordered Emily to turn around while the doctor measured and weighed him. He tapped her shoulder right before the doctor started the ultrasound. When the gel was spread on his stomach, he winced.

"Something wrong?" Emily asked.

He shook his head. "Just really cold."

She smiled, looking over at the screen.

"Well, it looks like she's getting herself into position. You might just have her before your scheduled date."

"…What? I thought I was all set until mid-July. It's only the end of June. What if she's not ready?"

Emily rubbed his shoulders. "Calm down."

He bit his lip, looking at his doctor. "But, she'll be healthy, right? She'll be fine once she's out if she comes early?"

The doctor nodded. "Of course. She wouldn't be preparing herself if she wasn't ready for it."

He sighed as she captured the image and cleaned the gel off of his stomach.

"If all goes according to plan, I'll see you next week."

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, nodding and resting a hand on his bump. Once the doctor reviewed his birth plan and gave him an overview of labor warning signs, she scheduled his next appointment. He looked over at Emily.

"Permission to freak out?"

"Not a chance. Now come on. Time to get you home."

* * *

After she dropped Spencer off at his apartment, Emily went straight to the office.

"How was your night with Pretty Boy?"

She shrugged. "Not that bad. He panicked at his doctor's appointment this morning, though."

"How bad was he?" JJ asked, walking over.

"He found out that the baby might be earlier than the expected c-section date and he's panicking that we're going to be off on a case when he finally does go into labor."

"Can't we-" JJ started.

Morgan shook his head. "You know Hotch would never let one member of his team stay behind when we're already down one person."

Hotch walked past Morgan's desk. "Conference room in 10," and without another word to the team, went to his office.

They all looked at each other, wondering who would have to be the bearer of bad news to Spencer that they'd be leaving on a case. Finally, JJ picked up the phone, dialing his number.

"Hey, Jayje. Did you know it's possible to balance a bowl of pretzels on top of your bump at 37 weeks?"

She smiled. "Unfortunately, no. Henry didn't let me last that long."

"That's okay, she might not either. Did Emily tell you?"

"Yes… it doesn't exactly mean she's going to be early. You know that, right?"

"Well, statistically, first children are born later, so I'm not going to worry about it too much so long as I have you guys around."

She sighed, looking around at the team. "Spence, we have a case."

He froze. "Where?"

"It's in Georgia. With any luck, we'll be back in a couple days, and Garcia will be by every night."

He chewed on his lip.

"You still there?"

"Um, yeah. I was stupid to think there wouldn't be any cases to worry about the next few weeks. Can you call me when you get there, so I know you made it safe?"

"So long as you call me tonight to let me know that my perfect little niece is still in there."

"Goddaughter," he corrected, hoping for a positive response.

JJ smiled, wiping her eyes. "Really, Spence? You mean it?"

"I can't think of anyone better. You've been there for me since I found out. You've been extremely helpful and always been there when I needed you. Besides, you trust me with Henry's life if anything were to ever happen to you. I can't think of a better mom to raise her if I somehow wasn't there anymore."

She tried to gain her composure, but failed miserably, setting down the phone and sitting down at his desk.

Morgan grabbed the phone, putting it on speaker. "Reid, everything okay? JJ looks kind of upset."

"I just told her she's going to be the baby's godmother."

Emily walked over to JJ, wrapping her arms around her. "Congratulations."

JJ rested her hand on Emily's arm. "Thanks, Spence. I'll talk to you soon."

"I'll be here."

"Take care of you two while we're gone, okay?"

"I promise. Bye, godmommy."

She hung up the phone, smiling.

"Oh, Garcia is going to hate you," Morgan teased.

"ACTUALLY, Derek Morgan," she said from behind him, "he asked for my blessing on it. Now get your butt to that conference room before I spank it."

"Intriguing."

She pointed a stern finger to the conference room. "Go."

All of the team members made their way to the room, Garcia in the back.


	43. Stir Crazy

While the team was gone on the case, Spencer did his best to preoccupy himself and keep his mind off of it. He spent most of the day watching Doctor Who, and spent his nights talking to Garcia, who was always bringing up topics to distract him from the fact that they were gone. By the time the fourth day of the case came around, he was pretty sure he was slowly going insane. He loved the fact that Garcia was watching after him and cared so much, but he was getting sick of her stopping by at any chance she got, then spending the night.

* * *

That night, he got a call from JJ.

"How's my favorite little brother doing?"

"Exhausted. Not to mention Garcia seems to think she has free range in the apartment."

"Where is she right now?"

"Just went to her apartment to shower and get clothes."

She smiled. "Well, lucky for you, we'll be coming home tomorrow sometime."

"Really? How'd the case go?"

"Hotch told me I can't involve you in the case."

"Come on, Jayje. I'm dying here. I can only watch so many episodes of Doctor Who. Not to mention some of these episodes should carry a warning for pregnant people not to watch them because I found myself bawling my eyes out like a little girl when she watches Bambi."

"Is it really that bad?"

"I just saw Doomsday for the first time in a while."

"A name like that doesn't exactly indicate tear-jerker. Sounds more like an action movie."

"Ten and Rose have to fight of Daleks and Cyberman, and to do so they had to open a portal to another dimension, and before he can close it, Rose is stuck in the other dimension. But then he sees her one more time, and is able to say her name before he fades away. Now, tell me that's not worthy of a warning label."

"Sounds like quite the emotional roller coaster. Maybe you should stick to the Marvel movies. Just stay away from Captain America. Last thing you need is to be overly-emotional about Bucky, or about the fate of Cap before the end of the movie."

He raised his eyebrow. "You know about Captain America?"

"What, a girl can't enjoy a little comic book action once in a while?"

He smiled. "Any idea what time tomorrow you'll be home?"

"Not sure. But I'll text you with an update once I know anything. Despite the fact she's hovering, is Garcia taking good care of the two of you?"

"Yeah, actually, she's been great in your absence. She won't let me order out and insists on home-cooked meals for breakfast and dinner, and she makes me a lunch before she leaves for work in the morning. Not to mention she calls every few hours to be sure I'm not completely bored out of my skull. And she started working on this baby book for her, it's pretty impressive. I'm pretty sure you know about it, considering you wrote her a little note in the front. I have to say, that yours is her favorite to hear. My one concern is the baby pictures - I'm not going to ask how she found my baby pictures to put in the beginning."

"Never question it. You should know better by now."

"I guess so. I'm gonna go get a nap in before Garcia comes back and finishes dinner. I'll hear from you tomorrow?"

"You bet. You keep my goddaughter in there, you hear me?"

"Trust me, that's the goal for both of us."

She smiled. "Bye, Spence."

* * *

After hanging up, he walked to his room and laid back on his bed, curling up on his side. When Garcia got to the apartment, she went to his room and saw him fast asleep. She smiled, fixing the blankets and tucking him in. A while later, she went back, knocking on the door lightly.

"Boy genius? Dinner's ready."

He sighed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and stretching.

"What'd you make?"

"Chicken parmesan with pasta. Now, let's go."

He pushed himself up off the mattress, walking to the kitchen.

"Have you talked to the team?" he asked, taking his seat.

She shook her head, making his plate and setting it in front of him. "No, why?"

"JJ says they're going to be home tomorrow afternoon."

"That's good. When's your next doctor's appointment?"

"Monday."

"Need a ride?"

He shook his head. "JJ has Sunday night, then she's taking me to my appointment in the morning before work." He picked up his fork, eating. "This is really good."

"The lessons from Rossi helped."

He nodded. "Definitely."

* * *

The next night after the team landed back in Quantico, JJ called Will and then tried calling Spencer. To her dismay, there was no answer. She sighed, tossing her bag in the backseat as she tried again.

"Is something wrong?" Morgan asked.

"I called Will and talked to him, no problem. But I can't get a hold of Spence. I've tried calling him three times, but there's no answer."

"Need a ride?"

She sighed, shaking her head and taking the keys out of her pocket. "I need to go check on him. It's my night. If something's wrong and I wasn't there for him-"

"I'm sure he's fine. Calm down."

She bit her lip, sighing. "I just worry about him. He's alone and he needs us."

"Go check on him. Give me a call when you figure out what's going on."

She nodded, getting in the car, starting it, and driving off.

* * *

When she got to the apartment, she grabbed her bag and ran for his apartment. Once she got inside, she had never been so relieved. Spencer was fast asleep on the couch, curled up on his side with his arm dangling over the side – his phone lying on the floor beside him. She walked over, crouching beside the couch and pushing his hair back.

"Rise and shine, Spence."

He looked at her and smiled. "You're back," he said softly.

"Come on, let's get you to bed. The couch is no place for you two to be sleeping."

She picked up his phone off the floor and helped him off the couch.

"So are you going to tell me about the case?"

"No chance," she said, following him to the bedroom and pulling the blankets over him once he laid down. "Get some sleep. You've got a doctor's appointment in the morning."

He nodded, tucking his arm under the pillow. Once he'd fallen asleep, JJ walked out of the room, closed the door, and called Morgan.

* * *

"False alarm. He was asleep on the couch and dropped his phone."

"Good. If that's your reaction to a nap, I can only imagine when he goes into labor."

"Funny. I'll see you in the morning."


	44. Preparation

After his appointment the next morning, JJ took him to the hospital.

"…What are we doing? I told you, I'm fine. You just heard it from my doctor."

"For a genius, you obviously didn't read up as much as you should've."

"What?"

"Have you pre-admitted yourself to the hospital?"

"I wasn't aware you could pre-admit yourself."

She smiled, shaking her head. "Please tell me you at least have your bags packed."

"I've had hers packed for weeks."

"And yours?"

"…Not yet."

"After I drop you off, I want you to pack your bag. Is that clear?"

"What do I pack?"

"I'll send you the list that I had when I get to the office."

* * *

When they got to the hospital, JJ walked to the desk, got the forms, and handed him the clipboard.

"Fill those out, then you're touring the birthing center."

"Is this really necessary?"

"Yes. Now do it."

"Don't you have to get to work?"

"Nice try. I have Hotch's permission to be late for this."

He sighed, picking up the pen and filling out the forms. He handed her the clipboard once he was finished.

"Happy?"

"Ecstatic," she said, walking up to the desk and handing the forms to a nurse. A few minutes later, the same nurse took them for a tour. She walked them by the nursery, where Spencer had to stop and stare for a moment.

"Are you okay, Spence?"

He smiled, looking at the babies in the room. "They're all so... tiny," he said, resting a hand on his bump. "It's just all starting to hit me right now. Sometime in the next few weeks, she's going to be here and it's really strange to think about."

She reached over, rubbing his back. "You'll be fine. I promise."

After this, they walked into one of the patient rooms. He exhaled, taking it all in. JJ reached over, squeezing his hand. "It's a lot less scary then you think. Trust me, I've been there."

He nodded, squeezing her hand back.

* * *

On the drive back, JJ was questioning him.

"So, if it's the middle of the night and you go into labor, you-"

"Wake up whoever's on the couch, stay calm, get my bags together, and call the hospital."

"And if it's the middle of the day and we're off a case?"

"I call you, you push up your scheduled vacation time, get everything together, stay calm, call the hospital, and wait patiently for you to get there."

"If we're on a case?"

"I call Garcia to come get me, I call you to let you know you need to get home, get everything together, stay calm, call the hospital, and wait for her to come get me."

"If you're out running errands?"

He groaned. "Jayje, I know all of this."

"Then answer me."

"I bring my bag with me in the backseat of the car, call the hospital, call you on my way, and get myself there as soon as I can while staying calm."

"And what are you going to do when you get back to the apartment?"

"Await your message and pack my hospital bag."

"Where do you put your bags after you're done?"

"By the door."

She nodded, parking the car in front of his apartment.

"By the way, Garcia's sending Prentiss home with a few bags. She made you what she calls 'mommy meals'."

"I hate when she calls me mommy."

"Well, according to her, daddy meals don't have the right ring to it. She made food you can stick in the freezer and heat up in the microwave. That way you don't have to live off cereal whenever you have five seconds to sit down and eat."

"Great. But I'm not going to excuse her calling me 'mommy'."

"I'd expect nothing less."

"So, what are you going to say?"

"What do you mean?"

"When the baby asks about her other daddy, or why you're her mother, but you're a guy?"

He shrugged. "I'm going to raise her to be open-minded, and accept the fact that she doesn't have a female 'mother'. I mean, I know _technically_ I'm the 'mother' since I'm the one carrying her, but when I hear mother, I don't think of male pregnancies. I don't think it's fair for me to _have_ to be a mother just because I was pregnant. I know other kids are going to have a problem with it, because kids are always going to inherit pure ignorance from their parents who are simple-minded, but I just have to let her know there's nothing wrong with her because of it."

She smiled. "Perfect."

He got out of the car. "Have a nice day at work."

"Want me to call tonight?"

"Could you?"

She smiled. "No problem. Talk to you later, Spence."

He held up his hand, giving a slight wave, and walked to his apartment.

* * *

A while later, JJ had sent him her hospital list.

Garcia walked into her office. "How'd it go?"

"He's freaking out without _actually_ freaking out. After his appointment, we went to the hospital and pre-registered, then took a tour of it. He got emotional when we walked by the nursery, then again when we went to one of the rooms."

"How'd he react to the babies?"

"Adorable grin across his face the whole time."

"Not surprising. You think he's going to be okay, right?"

"I sure hope so. He seems like he's ready. Hopefully he still tells the other father after she's born, and maybe he'll want to be involved."

"If he doesn't, I will." JJ tried interrupting. "No, Jayje. I have been quiet on this for far too long. I'm not going to sit back and wait for him to do it and get the help he needs. If he doesn't know about that baby by the time he goes into labor, so help me god, I am sitting him down and making him remember."

JJ sighed, looking up at her. "That's your decision. Not mine. If you can live with yourself doing it, then I'm not going to stop you. Just go easy on him, okay?"

"Fine, but if he refuses to be involved or at least acknowledge that baby…"

"Then you can do whatever you see fit."

* * *

JJ looked at her phone, answering. "Hey, Spence, how goes the packing?"

"Why in the world do I need so much stuff for a hospital visit? I'm only going to be in there a maximum of four days, maybe five."

"Because if you don't pack something on that list, you'll wish you had."

"_Light _reading? So I can't bring _any_ of my books?"

"You may be super genius who can read 20,000 words per minute, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to do it while in labor. I tried reading during my 15 hours at my normal speed, and I couldn't get past half a page without something happening."

"Fine," he said, stuffing in several pairs of socks and pajamas. "What about my insurance card and other information?"

"Already copied it, and tucked said copy into the side of your bag."

He unzipped and saw them. "You're the greatest. What do I do about her carseat?"

"You mean the one I had Will install into your car a couple weeks ago?"

"Thanks. Now, bag's packed, what do I do?"

"You put both yours and the baby's bag by the door, and you relax for a change."

"You really don't know me that well, do you?"

"At least try, then. For me? And for her?"

"Why do you always drag her into it?"

"Because I know that's what I need to say to make you listen."

He sighed. "I'll call you tonight?"

"Sounds great. Talk to you then."

He hung up the phone, lying back on the couch.


	45. Concerns

Spencer wasn't one to handle the waiting game well. He had already watched all the DVDs that Garcia had given him, and couldn't stay focused on a book long enough to read it. Several days of this had passed, and he was getting antsier by the day. He'd straightened and re-straightened everything in the nursery, and organized and re-organized his books several times. The one thing that comforted him was the fact that the team didn't currently have any cases, so he could call JJ anytime the boredom got the best of him.

At one point, he tried calling JJ. Unfortunately, he couldn't get an answer, so he called Morgan.

"What's up, Pretty Boy?"

"Is JJ around?"

"She's in a meeting, why?"

He groaned. "Damnit."

"Why, what's up?"

"I'm just going for a drive. Can you have her call me when she gets out of the meeting?"

"No problem. Are you sure everything's okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Really. I just can't sit in this house another minute and need to get out of here before I snap."

Morgan checked the clock. "JJ's going to be running late with that meeting. How about on my way home I stop by, and we'll go out to dinner?"

"You'd be seen in public with me looking this… spherical?"

"Just because you're pregnant, it doesn't stop me from being a friend. We'll go to dinner; you'll get out of the house. It's a win-win situation."

"So I'll see you at 5:30?"

"About – what are you in the mood for?"

"Fresh air and food that doesn't come out of my freezer."

"See you then."

He hung up and walked to his bedroom, actually getting dressed for the first time that week.

* * *

When Morgan got there, he shoved his phone in his pocket before opening the door. Morgan handed him a package.

"It's from my mom, I got it in the mail today. She somehow found out it was a girl – my guess is Garcia. Since it's the closest she's going to get to a grandchild according to her, she couldn't resist shopping."

He held the door open, letting Morgan in. He walked over to the couch, opening the box and looking through. He smiled as he pulled out several outfits and pacifiers.

"She likes shopping for kids, doesn't she?"

"Oh, definitely. And she told me to tell you she still has a lot of stuff from Sarah and Desi, if you need anything."

"Great offer, but I think with Garcia as an aunt, she's more than set." He set the box down and pushed himself off the couch. "Ready to go?"

Morgan nodded, grabbing his keys.

* * *

When they got to the restaurant, Morgan requested a booth in the back of the restaurant. He saw the look on Spencer's face. "No, I'm not embarrassed by you. I'm sparing you the looks and whispers from a bunch of close-minded ignorant people."

"Thanks," Spencer said, picking up the menu and looking through.

"Still eating weird food? I feel I should get an advanced warning if you're getting something out of the ordinary."

He shook his head. "Can't even imagine that stuff anymore." He groaned, resting a hand on his bump.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just more 'practice' contractions. They're a real pain in the ass."

"How do you know it's not the real thing?"

"Too infrequent and the pain isn't constant. Trust me when I say if I do actually go into labor around you, I'm not taking it this well."

"You were shot and tortured and didn't seem to complain too much."

"Yeah, well neither of those ended in getting a child taken out of my body."

* * *

After they put in their food orders, Morgan looked at him.

"What, are you actually scared?"

"Terrified is more like it."

"Does JJ know?"

He shook his head. "I try my best to put on a happy face and pretend I'm excited and over the moon. And I am, don't get me wrong. But the fact that I'm going to be a parent sometime in the next week and a half, whether it's the scheduled date or not? It's kind of worrying. I don't know what it takes to raise a kid, no matter how many books I read. The only experience I have is watching after my mother and babysitting Henry a couple times."

"You're really not going to tell the father?"

"After she's born. I had to promise Garcia I would."

"Hopefully he steps it up, so you're not alone."

He sighed. "Yeah, hopefully."

* * *

They pretty much ate in silence, Morgan looking up every few minutes to check on him.

"What's on your mind?" he asked after he'd finished.

Spencer set down his fork. "I have absolutely no control in this situation. I'm the kind of person who likes planning and consistency and everything to work out how I want it. This is just going to be the start of her controlling my schedule and it's just… I don't know. Different."

After paying the check, Morgan helped him up. "You'll get used to it."

* * *

He sighed, taking out his phone and calling JJ.

"What's up, Spence?"

"We're on our way back to the house now. How'd your meeting go?"

"Fine. I'm going to be able to move up my vacation time to be with you, whenever the little lady decides to make her debut."

"You can do that?"

"I had a little help from Hotch."

He got into Morgan's car, resting a hand on his bump. "Can you go through my bag, be sure I packed everything?"

"Like you didn't check the list three times already?"

"I just want to be sure I didn't overlook anything. I trust your judgment." He cracked the window as they drove back to his apartment. "I can't begin to describe how good it feels to get out of the stuffy apartment and actually get some fresh air."

"Once you have that baby? Going for walks is going to be one of your favorite things."

"I hope so. I can't imagine being stuck in the apartment with her for too long."

"You could also take her for some visits to the BAU. Not exactly recommended and Hotch will find something to complain about, but he'll get over it when he sees how happy it makes the team."

"I'll be back at the apartment in a few minutes. Be sure to let me know if I missed anything."

"Will do. See you soon."

* * *

Morgan pulled up to his apartment building, parking.

"Need anything else before I head out?"

He shook his head. "JJ's waiting for me inside, I'll be fine. Thanks so much, for this. Getting out of the house was just what I needed."

"No problem. Anytime you need it, just give me a call."

He opened the door, pushing himself up and closing the door, walking to his apartment.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Glad everyone's liking where the story's headed! I hope I don't disappoint with what's coming :)


	46. Early

That night, he sat on the couch, watching movies with JJ.

"This one isn't going to make me cry, is it?"

"Depends how your emotions are today, really. I remember when I was pregnant, I cried at Die Hard when I watched it with Will." She saw the confused look on his face. "…it was an action movie. With Bruce Willis? Oh, nevermind."

He stretched, resting his hand on his bump. "What's this about, anyway?"

"It's appropriately titled Due Date. It's about a guy whose wife goes into labor and he has to travel with this crazy guy to get there in time."

"That's not intimidating at all, considering my biggest fear is being alone in labor."

She reached over, rubbing his back. "Enjoy the movie. You'll be fine."

He rested a head on her shoulder, sighing. "If you say so."

* * *

Later on, the movie was over, and JJ looked over at him. He'd fallen asleep on her shoulder. She shrugged slightly. "Spence, go to bed."

"'m fine. Great movie."

"Really, what was your favorite part?"

"The part with… the baby and the dad?"

She rolled her eyes. "Go on. Go to bed."

He pushed himself off the couch, mumbling a quick 'good night' before walking to his bedroom and closing the door. JJ turned off the TV, laid back on the couch, pulled a blanket over herself, and fell asleep.

* * *

He woke up in the middle of the night, uncomfortable. No matter what he did, he couldn't get relaxed enough to fall back asleep. He eventually gave up, looking at his alarm clock and seeing 2:13 in bright green. He groaned, putting his legs over the side of his bed and pushing himself up. He immediately doubled over in pain, exhaling and whimpering. Looking down at his bump, he groaned. "What do you think you're doing? You have a week and a half and last I checked, you're statistically supposed to stay in there. You're scheduled for the 16th. It's only the 6th. Why are you out to defy me already?"

He bent over, resting his head on the bed and taking deep breaths. When the pain subsided, he stood up, walking to the living room and standing beside the couch. He leaned over, shaking JJ's arm.

"Jayje…"

She whimpered, swatting at his arm. "Too early."

"Uh, yeah, you're telling me."

It took her a minute to register what he was saying, but she immediately sprung up on the couch.

"Now?"

He bit his lip, nodding. "_Now_. I know my scheduled date is ten days away, but apparently she has other plans and I don't like them. I don't like them one bit and it's not fair."

She got up, grabbing her phone and slipping on her shoes.

"Go get in the car, I'll get your bags."

"You sure you don't need help?"

"Spence, get your shoes on and get in the car. Call the hospital when you get out there, let them know you're on your way."

"But… she's early," he said, panicking. His mind was going a mile a minute.

"Henry was three weeks early, and I went into labor with him at the BAU. Trust me, this is the best thing that could've happened with you going early."

He bit his lip. "But-"

She took his hand, looking him in the eyes. "Henry was earlier, and he's fine. When you call them, try your best to calmly explain that you're ten days from your scheduled date, but you need to come in now. You're not the first person to go before you're expected to, and you're certainly not the last. Take deep breaths, get your shoes on, and meet me in the car."

He sniffed, nodding. He walked over to the door, slipping on his shoes and walking outside. While he got himself situated in the car and called his doctor, JJ grabbed the bags and made a phone call.

"JJ, please tell me this is a buttdial of sorts and you're not really calling me at," Garcia checked the clock on her nightstand, "2:25 in the morning."

"Pen, it's Spence," she said, putting her shoes on. "We're headed to the hospital now."

"Are you _sure_?"

"I heard him whimpering in his room for a while, but I just assumed it was him trying to get comfortable. Then he came out and woke me up. Pen, it's _time_."

"I thought he wasn't supposed to go in for ten days."

"Well, looks like the baby's a typical girl and doesn't want to play by the rules."

"I'll meet you there. Should I call the rest of the team?"

"If they'll even get up this early. I'll see you soon."

JJ shut off the phone, stuffing it in her pocket and running outside with the bags. She put them in the backseat of her car, then started it.

"You doing okay, daddy?" she asked, buckling herself in. She looked over at him to see his eyes squeezed shut and the chair reclined back. He replied with a nod.

"Then let's go have a baby," she said, pulling out of the spot and driving to the hospital.

* * *

On the way to the hospital, JJ reached out and took Spencer's hand.

"Squeeze my hand if it hurts."

"What? JJ I'm not going to do that. It's mean."

"I've been there. I've done it. In fact, I ended up doing it to Hotch because Will wasn't at the hospital yet. I had trouble looking him in the eye for a few weeks after that. But I promise, I'm not going to be insulted or hate you for it."

He sighed, lacing his fingers with hers.

"You didn't tell anyone else, did you? I don't want them to get up early because of me."

"I told Garcia, so she'll probably tell the rest of the team, but it's up to them to show up. You're not responsible if they do end up waking up early and coming to the hospital."

"It's no fun being the baby of the team. Everyone feels like they always need to be there for me, and then I'm going to feel bad if they're going to wake up this early for me."

"Did you call the hospital?"

He nodded. "They told me to relax and assured me that I'm not the first guy in the world whose daughter wants out before she's supposed to come. They're getting a private room together as we speak. That's interesting though, considering I crossed off a shared room on the forms." He looked over at her.

"I may have had something to do with it."

"May have?"

"And by may have, I mean I totally had something to do with it."

He smirked. "Well, I appreciate it."

* * *

Garcia packed her own bag, calling the team.

"Garcia, you know I love you, but 2:45 in the morning? This had better be good."

"Well, Ms. Bossypants Prentiss, I called to tell you that Boy Wonder is in labor right now at the hospital. I got the call from JJ not too long ago."

"Who else have you called?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Hotch is going to meet us at the hospital after he drops Jack off at school, Rossi's going to work for half of the day, and nothing from Morgan yet."

"I have no choice and you're expecting me at the hospital, aren't you?"

"You bet. See you soon." She hung up the phone, putting it into her bag and walking out of her apartment.

* * *

When they arrived at the hospital, JJ insisted on getting him in a wheelchair.

"JJ, I'm fine, I can walk."

"Until a contraction hits you out of nowhere and you fall over."

"Well, technically, they're just over ten minutes apart, so it really can't catch me out of nowhere – I'm getting the next one in about seven minutes."

She gave him a look and he sighed, sitting in the chair, resting a hand on his bump. She put the bags over her shoulder, checked him in at the front desk, and pushed the wheelchair up to his room.

* * *

As Spencer was pulling on a hospital gown and being hooked up to monitors as the doctor checked on him, JJ checked her phone.

_Informed the team. Emily's on her way. I'll be there in a little bit._

She texted back. _What, no Hotch, Morgan, and Rossi?_

_Hotch is coming after he drops off Jack at school, and Rossi's coming in the afternoon, hoping to avoid the whole birthing process_. _As for Derek Morgan, he's a grumpy gus._

_Sounds great. The doctor's checking on him now. Looks like it might be a while for us._

_I'm sure we'll find a way to keep ourselves entertained. Any idea if he's going to tell baby daddy before?_

_Not a clue, he doesn't seem like he wants any company for now._

_Well, for him, ready or not because here she comes._

* * *

She smiled, looking over at Spencer. "The team's coming to visit."

He groaned. "I wish they wouldn't."

"Good thing you have no say in what they do."

He bit his lip, resting his hand on his bump and exhaling. She held out her hand, offering it to him. He sighed, shaking his head. "I've got it."

"Spence."

"Don't 'Spence' me right now," he snapped, groaning.

"Want me to go get you some ice chips?" she asked, pulling his pillow out of his bag and setting it behind him. He nodded. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Are you going to be okay alone?" Another nod.

She walked out of the room, sending Will a text that she was at the hospital with Spencer and walking to the nurse's station. When she came back with the pitcher of ice chips, he'd fallen asleep. She set the pitcher on the nightstand, grabbing a blanket from his bag and tucking him in.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Time's finally here - coming up: revealing the baby daddy and the name!


	47. Cognitive Interview

Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Garcia had enough of the secret keeping. She would deal with how upset Spencer was with herlater on, but she needed to let the father know. After a quick phone call ordering him to come to the hospital with the threat of appendage removal, he arrived in the waiting room. She sighed, grabbing his arm and dragging him over to the chair.

"What's this about?"

"Cognitive interview."

Emily looked over, raising an eyebrow. "You know how to do a cognitive interview?"

"We're about to find out, aren't we?"

She looked at him. "Close your eyes."

He looked at her. "What?"

"Do it."

He sighed, closing his eyes and waiting.

* * *

"Taking you back nearly ten months ago. After everyone had the case in Tennessee, where were you?"

"What?"

"WHERE were you?"

"I was at the bar."

"What do you see?"

"Spencer Reid, standing on the bar singing a Journey song."

"Are you drinking?"

"I've had a few."

"Okay… Boy Wonder finishes the song. Then what happens?"

He scrunched his forehead. "I help him down off the bar."

"And?"

"He stumbles. He's definitely had too many."

"What happens after that?"

"He's insisting that he's fine and can keep drinking. He doesn't need help and he's practically whining because I've got a hold of his arm to keep him from falling. Where is this heading?"

She ignored the question.

"Do you get him out of the bar?"

"Yeah, but he ended up at the hotel pool and jumped in with all of his clothes on."

Emily bit her lip to suppress a laugh.

"What'd you do when that happened?"

"I had to jump in too, get him out before he drowned himself."

"And?"

"Wrapped him up in some towels so he wouldn't freeze since the AC in the hotel was so high."

"Did you do anything else?"

"Yeah, I walked him back to his room and helped him get dressed."

"And?"

He thought for a moment. "I offered to stay in his room for the night, to keep him company."

"Did you?"

"Yeah…?"

She looked through her bag, taking out some photos. "You didn't leave his room until the next morning, looking very hungover."

"That tends to happen after a night of heavy drinking and taking care of someone who had way too many."

"Think about it. Think really hard for a minute. Did anything happen that night?"

He sat for a minute, trying to concentrate and recall what happened. Then it came to him, his eyes widening. In the meantime, Emily's jaw practically hit the floor.

* * *

_"Come on, I don't want to sleep!" Spencer whined._

_"Then just lie down on the bed and close your eyes."_

_"That'll make me sleep!" _

_He groaned. Taking care of a drunken Spencer was not going to be an easy task._

_"Then what won't make you sleep?"_

_"…Some company," he said, patting the empty side of his bed._

_"Definitely not," he said, putting his hands up._

_Spencer looked up at him, pouting. "Please? For me?"_

_He groaned again, sitting beside him on the bed. "Fine, just this once."_

_Spencer pulled him down, planting his lips on his._

_"What are you doing?!"_

_"…Experimenting."_

_"Why?"_

_"It seems like fun."_

_"Do you not realize how drunk you are right now?"_

_"I do, and you won't take advantage of me, promise! Don't you ever just want to try something once, just to see what you're missing out on?"_

_He looked at Spencer. "If we do this, and I'm not saying we are, it's only once, deal?"_

_He nodded. "Deal!"_

_He woke up a few hours later, with Spencer wrapped around him like an octopus. He untangled him, walking over and collecting his clothes, his head pounding with his impending hangover. He didn't even look at the bed and realize what they'd done that night._

"Oh my god," he looked up at Garcia. "You mean… that his baby…"

She sighed, nodding. "Congratulations, Derek Morgan, it's a girl."

Emily looked over at Garcia. "You knew?"

"I tapped into the security footage at the hotel," she admitted.

* * *

Morgan sprung up from his chair, hands on his head. "No, no, no. I'd have remembered, Baby Girl. How does someone just forget sleeping with someone and making a baby? That's just not possible."

"Enough alcohol in your system and the ability to repress a memory, anything can happen."

"You mean to tell me I've been ragging on this guy for MONTHS, and it's been me the whole time? I've been talking about how this guy is a son of a bitch for using him, and I was talking about myself?" He exhaled, pacing the waiting room. "He must hate me."

"You know he doesn't. You're practically his big brother. He didn't want to force you into this if you didn't want to be… do you want to be?"

"It's my daughter, I feel like I should be involved in some way or another," the word 'daughter' echoed in his ears. "How did he do this?"

"He's really strong and smart. He knew exactly what he had to do for him and his daughter."

"I need to talk to him," he said, walking toward the desk.

She grabbed his arm. "You will do no such thing. He's in labor right now and he's going to say a lot of things he doesn't mean if you go in there."

"Baby Girl, I just found out after several months that I'm going to be a _father._ You don't expect me to just sit here, do you?"

She sighed. "Just, don't stress him out, okay? You know how much it took him to keep it from you, to let you live your life without feeling like you were tied down to him."

He nodded, walking up to the desk and requesting Spencer's room, naming himself as the other father.

* * *

Emily looked over at Garcia. "How long have you known?"

She looked guilty. "Since the day he had his panic attack."

"And you didn't tell him?"

"I couldn't. It wasn't my secret to tell and I couldn't break our trust by doing that to him. Boy Wonder promised me the father would know the day he had the baby, but I couldn't just wait for him to do it…"

She sighed. "Let's hope for all our sakes, this goes well."

* * *

When Morgan walked into Spencer's room, he was fast asleep, hooked up to several monitors. He then looked over at JJ.

"Did you know?"

She looked up at him, yawning. "What?"

"Did you _know_?" he repeated.

She sighed, sitting up. "Garcia told you..."

"Who else knew?"

She walked over, pushing him into a corner of the room. "Just Spence, Garcia, and me. That's all. Nobody else, I swear."

He sighed, putting his hands on his head. "Nobody could bother telling me in these last few months? Not even a hint?"

"He tried telling you! On several occasions, and something would always come up. You can't blame him for this. He was terrified that he was going to do it alone and didn't want to force you to be committed to a one night stand."

"But he's not just a one night stand to me and he knows that."

JJ looked at him.

"Don't give me that look. I just mean that he's not someone I'd never talk to again. If I'd known, I could've been there. I could've helped him through this. He wouldn't have been alone."

"But he _wasn't_, Morgan. He had the team helping him. Without them knowing the truth. And whatever you decide to do after this is all done? The team's still going to help him. We're not going to _let_ him do this alone."

He chewed on his lip, looking over at Spencer. "How's he doing?"

"Progressing slowly, so he's sleeping through his contractions while they're still mild. His doctor says he should be in for surgery sometime this afternoon."

"That's over 12 hours away, they're not really going to make him wait that long…"

"His labor isn't going very quickly."

"Can't they do something about it?"

"Once it gets bad, he's going to be getting an epidural, then when he goes up to surgery, he's going to get a block so he doesn't feel anything, but he can stay awake."

He buried his head in his hands, sighing. "Take good care of him, okay?"

"Of course."

"Are you going to tell him?"

She shook her head. "He made me promise that he'd be able to tell you after the baby's born. And don't worry, Garcia's already worked it out with the nurses to have them record it so you can see it… and of course, she can see it. I won't let anything happen to them, Derek. I promise."

He nodded, taking one last look at Spencer before walking out.

* * *

When he was in the hallway, he turned on his phone, dialing. Luckily, he'd gotten the voicemail.

"Hey momma. It's Derek. Listen, I know it's late, but I need to tell you something. I don't want you to be mad at me or disappointed, because I only just found out myself. Spencer's daughter, the one you referred to as 'the closest you'll get to a granddaughter'? Well, you got your wish. It turns out I'm her father. I promise, I'll make you proud. I won't let him do it alone, and I'll be the father dad never got to be. Call me when you get this message? I could really use some of your advice right now."

He sighed, hanging up the phone and walking to the waiting room.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Emily asked.

"He's asleep. I didn't get to talk to him, but I did talk to JJ. You didn't know too, right?"

She shook her head. "I had my suspicions but I never really thought you would be."

"Well, that makes two of us," he said, taking the seat beside her.

Garcia walked over, holding out coffee cups. "Decent coffee? Just took a trip out."

He took it, sipping. "We're in for a long day. His labor's going really slow, so they're not getting him in until sometime this afternoon."

Emily held up the cup. "Then this is going to be a godsend."

* * *

**Author's Note: **There you have it - a lot of you guessed correctly. Great job! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story so much, and I can't wait to wrap this one up and start a sequel :)


	48. Waiting Game

By the time Spencer woke up, he was in pain, whimpering.

"JJ, it hurts," he whimpered, curling up on his side and wrapping his arms around his stomach.

She rubbed his back. "I know. It gets better."

He sniffed, shaking his head. "No, it doesn't. It just keeps getting more painful and I don't want to do this anymore."

"How about I find a time machine and we'll go back to Tennessee, keep you from drinking?"

"You're not funny," he mumbled, burying his head in his pillow and groaning.

"Want me to get the doctor, see if you can get an epidural yet?"

He shook his head. "No drugs."

"But Spence, you said-"

"I just need to go for a walk."

"Spence, are you sure?"

He nodded, sitting up and exhaling. "I need to move while I can."

She looked through his bag, taking out a pair of mismatched socks to put onto his feet. Once that was done, she helped him out of bed. "Just don't let go of my arm, okay?"

He nodded, gripping her arm and walking out of the room.

* * *

They made it halfway up the hallway and they saw Emily at a vending machine.

"Hey, Reid. How are you feeling?"

He groaned, standing up straight and resting a hand on his lower back. "Like I'm slowly being killed from the inside. But besides that wonderful fact, I'm fine."

She smiled. "Any idea when they're bringing you up?"

"This afternoon."

"Well, good luck. We'll be here waiting if you need any of us."

He nodded. "Thanks, Emily. Anyone else here yet?"

"Garcia and Morgan." He froze at hearing Morgan's name. "Hotch is on his way from dropping Jack off at school and Rossi's coming later."

"I'm sorry for pulling you all away from work."

"What, getting me away from a boring day of looking at case files? I should be thanking you."

He smiled weakly. "Jayje, can you get me back to the room?"

"No problem," she said, turning them around and walking back.

* * *

Emily walked to the waiting room, tossing Morgan a bag of animal crackers.

"Best you're going to get until the cafeteria opens."

"Thanks?" he said, opening up the bag. "Any update on Pretty Boy?"

"Just saw him in the hallway going for a walk. He's looking miserable, clinging to JJ like a ragdoll. And the labor's still slow, so it's just a giant waiting game until this afternoon. Oh, and he apologized for pulling us out of work."

Garcia rolled her eyes. "Of course he did."

"Did he say anything?" Morgan asked.

She shook her head. "Sort of stopped in his tracks when I said your name, but didn't actually say anything. Then again, he doesn't know I know anything. Did you hear back from your mom yet?"

"Not yet. I imagine I gave her a heart attack, so she's probably at the hospital in Chicago recovering. Either that or she's booking the first flight to DC. No matter what, though, it's going to result in me getting backhanded for getting _that_ drunk."

Garcia smiled. "Would she really do that?"

"For depriving her of several months of preparation for her grandchild? Definitely."

* * *

Hotch walked into the waiting room. "How's he doing?"

"He's in his room, either sleeping or attempting to. Doctor's bringing him up to the OR this afternoon. And him being Reid, he's refusing to take medication, even though he agreed to it beforehand and is practically in tears."

"I'm not surprised. Is JJ in with him?"

"It was her night last night and he went into labor after 2 this morning. She hasn't left his side since."

He nodded, crossing his arms and taking the seat beside her. "Has he cracked on the name yet? Or the father?"

Morgan stiffened in his seat.  
"Nothing yet on either one. But at least we'll probably know the answer to both this afternoon," Garcia said, looking through her purse and taking out a GameBoy. They all looked at her. "What? It's going to be a long day. I need to be entertained and hospital magazines are boring."

* * *

A few hours later, Spencer was in agony.

"Spence, would you just get the epidural?"

"But I don't like taking medications!"

"I know you say you can handle it, but you obviously can't. Can you please just get it? I can't stand seeing you like this."

He groaned. "What time is it?"

She checked the clock. "A little after 11."

He sighed, nodding. "Fine. Please, just get rid of the pain."

She reached over him, pressing the call button. She sat beside him, rubbing circles on his back. "Deep breath. In and out."

He whimpered, taking a deep breath and exhaling.

The nurse walked in, sitting beside him. After having him sign the forms, she cleaned off his back. JJ gripped his hand. "Squeeze it if it hurts. I promise I won't be mad."

He nodded, squeezing her hand as the needle went into his back.

"You should start feeling the effects in about 10-20 minutes," the nurse said before leaving.

He loosened his grip on JJ's hand, sighing. "Thanks. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head, holding up her hand. "Not even a bruise."

"Is there a time yet?"

"They're saying 3."

"…That gives me less than four hours."

"Well, ready or not, here she comes."

* * *

Meanwhile, Prentiss and Garcia were listening in while Morgan was talking to his mother.

"Yeah, momma, he's doing fine. JJ's in with him now-"

"Because he doesn't want me in there, that's why."

"No, mom, I just found out, I swear. He didn't even tell me-"

"I don't know, mom, because he didn't want to feel like a burde-"

He groaned. "I know that being there for your own child isn't a burden. I wouldn't do that. You raised me better than that."

"Yes, once he tells me, I'll call you and let you kn- YES, I will send you pictures."

"No, he hasn't told anyone her name yet… especially not me, mom, he doesn't even know I know yet."

He sighed. "I love you too, momma. I'll talk to you as soon as I know anything."

He hung up the phone, groaning.

"Good conversation?" Garcia asked.

He looked over at her. "As you'd expect a conversation between a grown man who just found out he's going to be a father and a grandmother who's very pissed off she's only just finding out to go."

"Scale of 1-10, how pissed _is_ she?"

"Probably an 8. Luckily the fact that she's going to be a grandmother softened the blow a bit. Though she insists she's far too young to be called a grandmother. Hotch and Rossi know yet?"

Emily shook her head. "We figured enough people found out, we'll let Spencer tell them. Remember to act surprised when he does tell you, though. And don't get all… Morgan-ish."

"Morgan_ish_?"

"You know, paranoid and acting like a defensive jackass."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I won't be _Morganish_."

* * *

Garcia checked her phone. "Text from JJ. He just had an epidural so he's calmed down some and she's trying to get him to take another nap. Doctor's scheduled him in for 3:00 this afternoon. There's going to be a new BAU baby before 4:00 today."

They both looked over at Morgan.

"What?"

"No reaction? Derek, you're going to be a dad before the day is over."

He sighed. "Guess it just really hasn't hit me yet. With him, he knows. He's been pregnant all this time and he's been able to prepare. I only just found out this morning."

"It'll probably hit him when he walks in and sees Spencer holding a baby," Emily suggested, flipping through a magazine.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Garcia said, taking out her Gameboy again.

* * *

A few minutes later, JJ walked out to the waiting room.

"How's he doing?" Garcia asked.

"Asleep again, thankfully. He and the baby are doing fine, and Garcia, I'm going to need your camera so I can give it to a nurse to record for him."

She looked through her bag, handing the camera to JJ.

"He's not freaking out or anything?"

JJ shook her head. "He's a little paranoid, but that's expected."

"Has he budged on the name yet?"

"I wish. Not even a hint."

Garcia sighed. "Well. I guess I can wait a few more hours."

"Garcia, can I talk to you for a sec? Alone?"

Garcia raised an eyebrow, following her to a corner of the waiting room.

* * *

"Is something wrong with Boy Genius?"

She shook her head. "No, he's fine. I'm more worried about Morgan. How's he doing?"

"Listen, Jayje, I couldn't leave him clueless. He deserved to know."

"Honestly, I probably would've done the same thing in your shoes."

"He's already talked to his mom about it, and he doesn't seem like he's freaking out quite yet. Though I think that has a lot to do with it not really being 'real' for him like it is for prodigy."

"Here's hoping this goes well. I have to get back to him before he wakes up."

"Good luck."

She nodded, walking back to Spencer's room and sitting beside him.

* * *

"JJ?" he mumbled, eyes still closed.

"I'm here," she said, taking his hand.

He sighed, squeezing her hand. "How much longer?"

"Just a couple more hours. She'll be here in no time."

"Says the one who doesn't have to go through labor."

She smiled, pushing his hair back. "You'll be fine, Spence."

He yawned. "You should sleep. You've been up since 2. It's not fair that you're still awake and I'm napping."

"No offense, Spence, but I'd much rather you be sleeping. I can get some caffeine if I need it. You need to rest up for the both of you."

"Are you sure? I could move over, make some room."

She smiled. "Good offer, but I'm fine over here. Let's get your mind off the subject, what's she going to call you?"

"Hm?"

"Well, there's a lot of options. There's daddy, dad, papa…"

"Daddy," he said quickly. "Definitely daddy."

"What about Morgan, should he want to get involved?"

He sighed. "Whatever he wants to be called, I guess. I still have to tell him, don't I?"

"You promised Garcia you would after she's born."

He nodded. "Last thing I want to do is lie to her… who knows what wrath she'd unleash?"


	49. Arrival

Spencer started looking at the clock, more and more anxious as time ticked on. When it started getting close to 3:00, his nerves were written all over his face.

"Do you want to see some of the team first? Maybe that'll help calm you down?"

He shook his head. "I can't- I can't face Morgan right now. I'd say something I really don't mean and that's not how I want to start off telling him he's the father."

JJ reached over, rubbing his back. "Calm down. Deep breaths. You're doing fine."

He sighed, taking a deep breath and exhaling. "The team's going to want to see me after, aren't they? Even though I'm going to be shaking and look like a mess."

She ran a hand through his hair. "You'll have just gone through surgery. They'll understand."

"I just don't want them to baby me anymore than they already do."

"You're going to have to get over that. You're always going to be looked at as the little brother or the son. It's just how it is."

* * *

When the clock finally struck 3:00, he froze.

"Jayje, I don't think I'm ready for this. I can't do this. Please don't make me."

She took his hand. "Shh. Calm down, Spence. The both of you are going to be fine. In the next hour, she's going to be out here and in your arms. Yes, you'll be a little sore, but it'll be well worth it once she opens those big old baby blues and looks at you."

"Technically, she can't really see me clearly – at three months is when she can start seeing faces and stare at objects, and four months is when she can really see colors. So she'd just be staring at a big blob, but recognize me from being inside of me."

She smiled. "Of course, what was I thinking?"

A nurse walked in, handing JJ some scrubs. She kissed Spencer's forehead, then pulled them over her clothes.

"How do I look?"

He smiled slightly. "Scrubs are quite the look for you. Hold on." He reached over, grabbing his phone and taking a picture, sending it to Garcia.

_On our way up. Baby girl and I will see you soon._

* * *

Garcia opened up her phone, squealing.

"What is it? Did he have the baby?" Prentiss asked.

She shook her head. "JJ just got her scrubs on, they're on their way up now."

Morgan exhaled, resting his head in his hands.

"You okay, Morgan?" Rossi asked.

He nodded. "Just been a long day."

"Why don't you go home? We'll call you once he's out of recovery," Hotch suggested.

He shook his head. "I'll be fine."

"Has he chosen a godfather yet?" Rossi asked.

"Not yet, but I think it's a safe assumption it's going to be Morgan," Hotch answered.

Garcia and Emily looked at each other.

"I don't think so," Morgan said, sighing, "it's probably someone else."

"Why's that?"

In response, he shrugged, leaning back in his chair.

* * *

Meanwhile, JJ and Spencer were up in the OR. He looked up at her, exhaling.

"Is it too late to go back?" he asked.

She handed the camera off to a nurse and pushed his hair back. "Just a little bit."

"I can't feel anything," he said softly, "is that normal?"

"Very normal," his doctor said, "it means we can start getting your little girl out of there."

He looked at JJ. "This is it."

She smiled, nodding, taking his hand and lacing their fingers. "You can do it, Spence. Just relax."

"I… I want to see."

"Sure you don't just want to watch the video later?"

He shook his head, looking at one of the nurses. "Can you lower the curtain?"

She nodded, lowering it and walking over to help the doctor.

"What are you feeling, Spence? Talk to me," JJ sat beside him, squeezing his hand.

"It's weird. It's… tugging? But in a numb sort of way?"

"That's good. It's normal."

He sighed, taking a deep breath. "I've been running through the scenario in my head for a while. I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to break the news to Morgan and I honestly think simplicity is the best option."

"Come again?"

"Well, every way I think of is way too complex, so I think I'll just be outright with him. 'By the way, Morgan, this is your daughter'. I'm sure it's not the way he wants to hear it, but I can't think of anything else."

She smiled. "Whatever works for you."

* * *

"Dr. Reid, if you'd like to look, we're about to take her out."

His eyes darted over to his stomach as the doctor lifted her out, cleaning her off and clamping her cord. He gasped. "JJ, look at her!"

JJ smiled, wiping her eyes and kissing his forehead. "You did it, Spence."

"Would you like to cut the cord?" a nurse asked her.

She looked at Spencer. "Can I?"

He smiled, nodding, not taking his eyes off his daughter. He watched closely as JJ cut the cord, practically beaming at the experience. When she sat beside him again, tears were running down his cheeks.

"Oh, Spence, she's so perfect."

* * *

A short while later, a nurse walked over with her, swaddled in a blanket and cleaned up as the doctor was stitching him up. She handed her to JJ. "So, what's that name we've all been waiting on?"

Spencer smiled, pushing the blanket aside with his finger. "Parker. Parker Diana."

JJ looked at him, then back at the baby. "Welcome to the world, Parker. You've got the best daddy in the world."

* * *

"Dr. Reid, we're going to bring you to recovery."

He bit his lip. "Can Parker come?"

"We just need to get her checked out first, be sure she's in good health, and then we'll bring her in once you're back in your room."

He looked at JJ. "Stay with her? Please?"

"Of course."

"And don't tell anyone her name? Or her father?"

She reached over, wrapping her pinky around his.

He smiled slightly as they pushed his bed out of the operating room and to recovery.

* * *

When she got to the nursery, JJ waited while a few nurses checked over Parker. Once they were done and finished up the information card on her bassinet, they let JJ see her. She smiled, taking out her phone and taking a picture, sending it to Garcia.

Garcia gasped, looking at her phone.

_Do we have a name?!_

_We do, but I had to promise Spence he could be the one to tell you guys. He's in recovery now, he should be back in his room within an hour._

_Is she okay?_

_Perfectly healthy. 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Born at 3:43 p.m._

Garcia smiled, texting her back. _She looks so perfect. Just like a little genius._

_Don't show Morgan yet. He wants to wait to tell him himself._

_Fine. But you can't stop me from showing Emily._

_I'll let you know once you can come to his room. _

Garcia nudged Prentiss, then pointed to her phone.

She gasped. "Oh my god, she's perfect."

* * *

Spencer whimpered as the pain hit him, his epidural slowly wearing off.

"Are you okay, Doctor Reid?"

He winced, nodding. "Just starting to feel again," he said softly, exhaling.

"Would you like medication for the pain?"

"No narcotics. Please."

The nurse sighed, listing off a few options. He selected what he felt was the best one, and instantly felt better once it was given to him.

"My toes are tingling," he stated, wiggling them.

She smiled. "That means you're getting feeling back. You should be back in your room and with your daughter in no time."

* * *

A while later, the doctor moved him back to his room, hooking him up to a few monitors.

"Can I see her?"

"For a little while, but then I'll need you to rest."

He nodded and watched as she walked out. A few minutes after, a nurse walked in holding her, JJ in tow. Once he was holding her, he cradled her against his chest.

"Hey, Parker… I'm your daddy. I'm so glad I can finally see you. You're absolutely perfect. You've got your ten itty bitty fingers and your tiny little toes. Not to mention an adorable little button nose," he smiled, kissing her forehead. He looked up at JJ. "Thank you. For everything. I couldn't have made it through this without all your help."

She leaned over, kissing his forehead, then the baby's. "The pleasure was all mine."

He bit his lip. "Um, can you go get Morgan? Please?"

"Are you sure you want to do this right now?"

He nodded. "I have to. He has a right to know."

"I'll be back in a minute," she said, getting up and walking to the waiting room.

He exhaled, looking down at her. "Parker, I know I didn't tell you about him much, but you're about to meet your other daddy. He's a pretty great guy. I hope you like him, and I really hope he likes you too."

* * *

JJ walked to the waiting room. When the team saw her, they all shot up.

"How is he?"

"How's the baby?"

"What's her name?"

"Can we see them yet?"

JJ smiled. "He's recovering, but fine. She's perfect. And he doesn't want too many visitors at once. Morgan, he wants to see you first."

Hotch and Rossi exchanged a look. "Not Garcia?" Hotch asked.

JJ put her hands up. "Just doing what I was told."

Morgan nodded, getting up. "Lead the way."

She turned around, walking back to Spencer's room.

* * *

"Go easy on him," she whispered softly, "he's really emotional right now and needs support and comfort. The last thing he needs is to work himself up after he had the baby. He's a little shaky from the c-section, and he's on some pain medication, so he might be a little out of it."

He nodded, pushing the door open and walking inside.

* * *

The lights were dimmed, but he could see Spencer, cradling the baby in his arms. He smiled to himself, walking over and taking the chair beside him.

Spencer looked up at him, swallowing and sighing. "Derek Morgan, I'd like you to meet your daughter."

"My daughter?"

"I-I know, it's a lot to take right now. It was back at the case in Tennessee and you didn't remember and I didn't want to force you to commit to a one night stand, so I did this as a favor to you and if you're mad I'm really sorry, but it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

Morgan bit his lip. "Pretty Boy… can I?"

"...Are your hands clean?"

"Already washed."

Spencer exhaled, leaning over and placing the baby into his waiting arms. Morgan observed that he was shaking.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Sometimes after a c-section, you get the shakes. It happens."

Morgan looked down at the baby and smiled. "Oh wow."

"She has a name. If you don't like it, I can change it."

"What is it?"

"Parker Diana."

"Parker? As in Peter Parker?"

Spencer shook his head. "Parker as in… Parker."

Morgan smiled, pushing the blanket aside to get a better look. "She's definitely a Parker. You did good, Pretty Boy."

"Well, you did too. She is half yours, after all."

"I guess so," he said, staring at the baby, "you could've told me, you know. I wouldn't have been mad."

"I'm sorry, I really am."

"Don't apologize. You did what you thought you needed to for your family."

"Can we talk when I'm not so heavily medicated?"

"Sure," Morgan said, unable to take his eyes off the baby. "Whenever you want."

Spencer smiled, wiping his eyes and sniffing. "So you're not angry?"

Morgan shook his head.

"Upset?"

He shook his head again.

"What are you?"

Morgan bit his lip, staring at her. "I guess I'm a father."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I couldn't leave you guys hanging, even if this chapter WAS going to be posted after I woke up tomorrow. And we finally have the name - sorry to keep you all waiting. Had to keep you on your toes a bit!

Coming up: introducing the team and Spencer learning the ropes for parenting.

**Note to Anons:** I write for myself, to give myself something to do and keep my mind from exploding with crazy ideas. I don't believe there's anyone out there who has gone through a male pregnancy (except the publicized pregnant man, and I can't get in touch with him for advice). I'm not going to take any insults about the writing style for this seriously, nor am I going to stop writing this story, or keep myself from writing anything _after_ this one. As for my knowledge of pregnancies and c-sections? Two older siblings. Both with children. Both shared their experiences with me on several occassions (whether I asked for it or not).

Also, for the one anon who's insistant that I'm writing wrong because my personal preference is to write him as a father instead of a mother? This was explained earlier in the story - I had Spencer explain his preference for being called a father instead of a mother. I understand if that's not your personal preference or how you write your stories, and I can respect that it's your opinion and writing style, but I do believe this one is mine to do with as I please.


	50. Meeting the Team

After a few minutes, Spencer sighed. "Can you call JJ, have her bring the rest of the team?"

"Are you sure you're up for it right now?"

He nodded. "I'm just sore and a bit shaky. Other than that I feel fine."

Morgan set Parker into the bassinet, walking out to the hall.

* * *

"How'd it go?" JJ asked, looking up at him.

"…Pretty well."

"Are you two going to talk?"

"When he's not so medicated and in pain. Right now, he wants to see the rest of the team."

"Think he's ready to break the news to everyone?"

"We're going to find out. I'm not going to start going against his wishes now. JJ, he just had my kid after over nine months of keeping her a secret for my safety. I owe him."

She nodded. "Go ahead."

He took out his phone, texting Garcia.

_Pretty Boy's ready for visitors. Bring the team._

* * *

Unsurprisingly, it took nearly no time for everyone to get there.

"How's he doing?" Garcia asked.

"He's good," JJ started, "a little shaky from the c-section and on medication, but other than that, he says he's fine and wants to see you guys."

"Why'd he want to see Morgan first? Are you the godfather?" Emily asked.

He shook his head, knocking. "You decent, Pretty Boy?"

"Come in."

He walked in, holding the door open for the rest of the team. Spencer was cradling Parker against his chest, humming softly. They all stood around the bed.

"Does she have a name?" Garcia asked.

Spencer smiled. "Everyone, say hello to Parker."

"Can I?" Garcia asked, walking over and standing beside him.

"You've washed your hands, right?"

"Washed and sanitized, I promise."

He nodded, sitting up and wincing slightly, lowering her into Garcia's arms.

"Feeling okay, Reid?" Hotch asked.

He shrugged. "How you'd expect to feel after having a baby cut out of your abdomen."

This made Rossi chuckle. Spencer looked over at Garcia, who was sitting in the chair beside his bed, whispering to Parker.

"You've got an awesome daddy, oh yes you do. Look at your hair, it's just like his. And you're so tiny! Your skin is so pretty, too. You're going to be a gorgeous little girl."

Spencer looked at Morgan, who nodded.

"I um, I know you guys have been wondering about her other father," he took a deep breath, looking at his lap, feeling everybody's eyes on him. "I guess it's time to come clean. He found out, so you should know too." He started wringing his hands and sighed. "I think I should just come right out and say it. It's Derek," he said, looking over at him.

Morgan could feel everyone's attention shift to him. He looked up at his team, ready for the onslaught of questions.

"How long did you know?"

"I just found out 20 minutes ago."

"You didn't have a feeling?"

He shook his head.

"Are you going to be there for her?"

"We're going to discuss it later on."

* * *

Spencer looked around at his team, and he's pretty sure he saw Rossi sneak a 20 dollar bill to Hotch, who had a smile on his face.

"Think you can share, Garcia?" he asked, walking over.

She nodded, getting up and resting her in her superior's arms.

Spencer watched him closely, hoping to get some sort of answer from him regarding Morgan or the situation. Hotch looked at her with a smile. "Parker? Digging in to the Marvel comics are we, Reid?"

He sighed. "Why is everyone saying that?! Come on, Emily, vouch for me here."

"Having watched him pick out the 'right' name, I can say that he looked through the book several times, landed on Parker, and just knew it was her name."

"Thank you."

Hotch looked at the baby, then over at Spencer. "She's a Parker. No doubt about it. And she looks like you."

He smiled. "Thanks, Hotch."

They all gathered around Hotch to look at her.

"Oh wow, Reid. She's adorable. And so tiny." Emily said, grinning.

"You wouldn't have guessed by the size of me, would you? People probably thought I was carrying triplets."

JJ smiled, sitting beside him. "You weren't that big."

"Are you kidding me? I was like a beached whale."

She shook her head. "Whatever you want to think."

* * *

He checked the clock. "Hey, Jayje, can you go to the nurse's station and get some formula for her? The doctor said I should try feeding her about now."

"No problem," she said, getting up and walking out to the hall.

Hotch walked over, resting Parker in his arms. "We'll come back later."

"Thanks, Hotch… can I actually ask you something?" he asked as the team left.

"Sure."

He bit his lip. "JJ's the godmother, and I trust her to take care of Parker if something happens, but she needs a godfather, and I was just wondering if-"

Hotch gave him a smile. "I'd be honored."

Spencer exhaled. "…You knew it was Morgan, didn't you?"

"I didn't, but I had a hunch."

"He's not going to be in trouble at work, is he?"

"I'll be sure of it. Take care of yourselves."

"Will do," he said, cradling her against his chest.

Morgan looked over. "Do you want me to leave?"

"Um, if you'd like? They technically did her first 'feeding' at the nursery, but this is her first with me so I guess if you'd like to stay, I can't stop you?"

Morgan took the chair beside his bed.

* * *

JJ walked in, holding up a bottle. "Dinner is served." She walked over, opening it, then handing it to Spencer.

He rested it against her lip, and smiled when she started drinking after little struggle.

"She did it," he said proudly, kissing her forehead, "good job, Parker."

Morgan smiled, watching them. "I called my mom, Pretty Boy. And told her about everything."

"How'd that go?" he asked, looking up at him briefly.

"She's aggravated at me for being so irresponsible, but mostly? She's worried about you. And wants to see her."

"Then why are you depriving your poor mother?" he asked, looking back at Parker. "She said before she even knew that Parker was like her granddaughter, and now she really is."

Morgan smiled, taking a picture of them and sending it to his mother. "I'm sure I'll hear from her in no time."

"You did not. Derek, I look like hell hooked up to all these monitors and haven't really slept in sixteen hours, that's not fair."

"You look fine, Pretty Boy. Besides, no offense, she won't be looking at you."

* * *

After Parker finished the bottle, Spencer bit his lip as she started whining.

"Spence, you need to burp her."

"But I don't want to hurt her."

"You won't. You have two choices: sit her up, put your hand under her chin without being too tight on the neck, and pat her back enough to get the gas out. Or you can put her against your chest with her head over your shoulder and pat her back, then rub circles on her back."

"What if I hit her too hard?"

Parker whimpered, starting to cry.

"JJ, what'd I do wrong?" he started panicking.

Morgan picked her up. "Let me."

"No, Derek. You might hurt her. Please don't."

Morgan put up his finger, sitting back against his chair. He put the crying baby against his chest, patting her back and rubbing circles, humming softly. Sure enough, she burped, spitting up a little formula.

"You were saying?" he said, as JJ cleaned the spit-up off of his shirt.

"You might want to get a new shirt, Morgan. And clean this one soon before that stains."

Morgan looked over his shoulder, then back at Parker. "I guess I should start wearing t-shirts around you, huh?"

The infant curled up against his chest, yawning.

Spencer gasped. "That was so adorable!"

JJ smiled. "Morgan, give her to Spence. Let her sleep on his chest."

Spencer looked at her. "Is that safe?"

"I thought you read all the books."

"I did but… this isn't stuff you can learn from the books."

She shook her head. "It's easy. Lie back and unbutton your shirt."

"What?"

"Go on."

He laid back on the bed, opening the first few buttons on his shirt.

"Now, Morgan, rest her against his chest."

Morgan stood beside him, crouching down and laying Parker on his chest.

"The skin to skin contact helps. Especially since she's right over your heart," JJ said, putting a blanket over them.

Spencer smiled, rubbing her back softly and kissing the top of her head. A few minutes later, he looked up at JJ.

"She's asleep," he said softly, smiling.

"It's almost like I've done this before."

* * *

After Morgan left, Spencer looked at JJ.

"The medicine they're giving me for the pain is a narcotic."

"Spence…"

"The only non-narcotic wouldn't have been strong enough. I don't like narcotics, JJ. What if I get addicted again? I'll lose her and I can't do that."

She sat beside him. "Just because you have narcotics in your system doesn't mean you're going to get addicted to them. And if it helps, I won't let you get addicted again. My goddaughter needs her daddy strong as can be, because something tells me she'll be a little energy ball."

* * *

He looked at the sleeping infant on his chest. He kissed her head softly. "I never thought I'd love someone this much."

She smiled. "It's amazing, isn't it? You know you love her, but you never knew how much until she got here."

He nodded.

"They're going to need to take her to the nursery soon. So you can catch up on your sleep."

He chewed on his lip. "I guess that makes sense."

"Do you need me to stay tonight? I can have them bring a cot in and I can sleep here with you. The first night is pretty tough."

"Will won't mind if I keep you another night?"

"He says it's fine, so long as he can bring Henry in tomorrow to see her. He's ecstatic that his little cousin's finally here."

Spencer smiled. "That's fine by me."

* * *

In the waiting room, Morgan put his feet up on a chair, answering his phone.

"Hi, momma."

"Derek, she's beautiful."

He smiled. "That's all Spencer."

"What's her name?"

"Parker. She's 7 pounds, 4 ounces of perfect, isn't she?"

"Oh, she is. He really didn't tell you or anyone else you were the father?"

"Nobody. He kept it to himself because he was worried about not only risking our jobs, but having to tie me down to a one-night thing."

"Derek Morgan, now this better be more than a one night thing with a baby involved."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to ignore them."

"Is your job at risk?"

"Hotch seems pretty happy for him, so I guess I'll find out at work on Monday."

"Monday? Derek Morgan, you are not leaving him home alone with that baby."

"I haven't talked to him yet. He goes home on Sunday, but he said we'd talk before then about letting me be involved in her life."

"You're not going to let him shut you out, are you?"

"I'm going to take whatever he's going to give me."

"Are you going to be on the birth certificate?"

"We haven't talked about that."

"Well can you visit him at his apartment?"

"We haven't talked about that either."

She sighed. "Have you spent time with her yet?"

"I got to hold her for a while after he told me. Then I was there for her first feeding. He was freaking out over burping her, so I did it for him."

"How do you know how to burp a baby?"

"Instinct, I guess?"

"When you talk to him, go easy on him. Hormones after birth are all over the place. Don't get easily offended if he says something you don't like. And take care of him, you hear me?"

"I will, momma."

"And once things work out, I'd like to see my granddaughter."

"I'll see what I can do."

After he hung up the phone, he pulled up his pictures of Parker on it. He smiled, setting one as the background.

* * *

Throughout the night, Spencer woke up several times, whimpering.

"Spence?" JJ mumbled, sitting up.

He winced. "I'm fine, Jayje, go back to sleep."

She walked over to the bed, pressing the call button.

"Now isn't a time for pride, Spence. If you're in pain, you need to take care of it. The healing process isn't going to be easy."

He sighed as the nurse put the medication into his IV. He looked up at her.

"How's my daughter doing? Parker Reid?"

"I hear she's quite the charmer up in the nursery. All the nurses at the station can't stop talking about her."

He smiled, looking at JJ. "My daughter's a social butterfly?"

"Looks like she got something from Morgan after all."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Glad you're all enjoying the story. All the positivity and great feedback is amazing, and I can't thank you enough for it!

As for the 'Reid being a daddy' issue that some people have a problem with? I've explained it in the story before, and this is the last time I'm addressing it. Yes, it is my personal preference, but it's also what I see fair. When one hears 'mother' they don't think 'person carrying a child', they think a female. The definition of mother, after all, is a _female_ parent. I'm not going to downgrade a male character to being referred to as a female just because a few people don't like the idea of him being a daddy. I can't please everybody, and I'm sorry if that offends you. This is my writing style and I'm going to stick to it.


	51. Henry

The next morning, JJ went back to her house to shower, get changed, and get Henry ready for his visit. Meanwhile, Spencer was in his room with Parker. He had her rested on his chest while he held a book in one hand, reading to her.

"Alice in Wonderland? Quite the adventure for her."

He looked up to see Morgan leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey… I didn't know you were coming by." He put a bookmark into the book, putting it on the nightstand.

"Is she asleep?"

He nodded. "Just went down for a nap."

"Then can we talk?"

"If we can keep it quiet? I don't want to wake her."

He took the seat beside Spencer's bed.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Really, Pretty Boy?"

"Right, sorry."

Morgan sighed. "I don't know anything about being a father. And I only remember my father up until I was ten. But she's my daughter, and I feel like I should have a place in raising her."

Spencer bit his lip, looking down at her. "I know, and I understand. It's just really hard for me to let people in."

"Then I guess it's a good thing you already trust me. I could've let you go back to your hotel room with the guy in the leopard tuxedo."

He shuddered at the thought. "That's just mean."

Morgan smiled. "But really, Pretty Bo- Spencer." His head shot up at the use of his first name. "I want to be involved, and I'll take whatever you'll give me."

"I don't want you only being involved because you feel like you _have_ to do it."

"I don't feel like I _have _to do it at all. She's my daughter. I_ want_ to be there for her."

"I don't want you to miss work or anything because of us."

"I'm not missing it because of you. Hotch offered me a couple weeks off to help you out, since you just had surgery and you're going to need help around the house. I asked for it because I _want_ to help."

Spencer looked up at him. "Would you agree to a trial run?"

"A what?"

"You can stay with us in the room tonight, until she has to go back to the nursery, and we'll see how it goes. From there, we'll see what happens."

"I'll take whatever you'll give me. Thanks, kid."

"You know, you're going to have to stop calling Garcia 'Baby Girl' – you've got somebody else with that title now," he said, looking down at Parker.

He smiled. "I guess I can come up with another pet name."

* * *

A few minutes later, Spencer yawned.

"I've got her. You should take a nap before you have more visitors."

"You sure?"

He nodded, setting his coffee cup on the windowsill. "Let me see her."

Spencer bit his lip. "If she gets fussy, she really likes humming. And she's due for a feeding soon."

"I've got her."

Spencer sat up, wincing slightly, picking up Parker and resting her in Derek's arms. "And she also likes skin-to-skin contact. It comforts her."

"I've got her," he repeated.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you. For carrying her, for keeping her, and taking such good care of her. It's my turn now. Get some sleep."

Spencer laid back on the bed, pulling his blanket over himself. Within a minute, he fell asleep.

* * *

When he finally woke up, he looked over at Morgan. He was rocking in the chair, humming softly, an empty bottle in his lap.

"That's right, pretty girl. He's your daddy, and I guess I'll go by papa, or dada, whichever you'd prefer. I don't know if your daddy ever talked about me, but I can tell you even though I haven't known you're mine very long, I'm in love with you. You're the perfect little baby, you know that? And you've got two grandmas who are just going to eat you up. Not to mention you've got an Aunt Sarah and an Aunt Desi. If Aunt Penny doesn't spoil you rotten, they will. Of course, I'll have a bit of a role in that too. Look at you, how can anyone not love you?"

Spencer smiled, clearing his throat. Morgan looked up.

"Looks like daddy's awake. How much of that did you hear?"

"Pretty much the whole thing."

"I'd be embarrassed, but I don't regret a word."

"You mean it?"

Derek nodded, kissing Parker's forehead.

"So you're going to do it? Spend the night?"

"As long as they let me," Morgan said, setting her in the bassinet.

* * *

"Hey, Morgan?" Spencer said nervously, looking up at him.

"Yeah, Pretty Boy?" Morgan asked, leaning over.

Spencer bit his lip, grabbing the back of Morgan's neck and pulling him into a kiss.

* * *

JJ walked into the room, gasped, and turned back.

"We need to give Uncle Spencer a minute, buddy."

"Why?"

JJ picked him up. "Because he's talking to her daddy right now, and it's a very boring adult conversation you don't want to hear."

Will raised an eyebrow, peeking in. "Yeah, Henry. Very boring."

JJ looked at Henry. "How about daddy takes you to go get some animal crackers? I'm sure they'd love to give you some at the nurses' station."

Henry gasped. "Can we?!"

Will picked him up. "'Course, buddy." He kissed JJ's cheek and walked away.

* * *

She looked back in to see them still kissing. She took out her phone, taking a quick picture. She quickly called Garcia.

"Hey, Jayje, did Henry love meeting little genius?"

"He hasn't had the chance yet."

"I thought you were going there at noon."

"Oh I'm here and it's past noon. But we can't get into his room yet."

"Why, is he changing or something?"

"He's not _alone_."

"Who's he with? I know Morgan was visiting this morning but-" she gasped. "He is NOT."

"I don't know what's going on. I don't know the context. I just walk in and they're liplocked."

"This is such a huge deal! You need to get details."

"Only if he'll give them to me. I'm not going digging."

"But Jayje!"

"Nuh uh. And you won't either."

She groaned. "Fine."

"And keep it to yourself."

"Bu-"

"No buts."

"Fine. I'll see you later."

JJ hung up, looking back in the room.

* * *

Spencer pulled back, looking up into Morgan's eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Morgan smiled, kissing his forehead. "Don't be."

Spencer blushed, speechless. "I um, JJ's going to be here soon. Maybe we can, um, finish the conversation later?"

"The conversation, or the kiss?"

"Um, the conversation."

Morgan smiled, changing the subject. "You eaten yet today?"

He shook his head.

"I'll go get you something," he said, pushing himself out of the chair.

"Nothing too solid."

"No problem."

* * *

He watched as Morgan left the room, and then saw Parker looking at him. He smiled, picking her up out of the bassinet. "I am so glad you're my only witness."

"Is she?"

He looked over to see JJ walking in.

"Don't scare me like that!" He wrapped her up in her blanket, adjusting her cap.

* * *

"How was she while I was gone?"

"Derek had her most of the time. I slept."

"And then planted your lips on his?"

He blushed again. "It was spur of the moment, I definitely didn't plan it."

"I believe you," she said, sitting beside him. "Have you thought about it?"

"About what?"

"Him being involved?"

He nodded. "We're doing a trail run tonight in the hospital, seeing how he is with the two of us. And if he does well, we're going to discuss it."

"Only you could test the scientific method on your child's father."

He smiled, kissing her forehead. "It'll be worth it."

* * *

She looked over at the door. "You've got a visitor."

He raised an eyebrow, glancing over. He saw Henry, and quickly put a finger to his lips. "Inside voice."

Henry nodded, running over to the bed.

"Henry, slow down," Will called, following him.

"It's fine," Spencer said, looking down at Henry. "Want to meet your cousin, Henry?" He nodded repeatedly. Spencer shifted over on the bed, making room. "Come on up here."

Will picked up Henry, setting him on the bed beside Spencer. "Remember, Henry. The baby's gon' be real delicate. You have to be careful."

Henry looked at his father, nodding.

Spencer bent his arm down, showing her to Henry. "Henry, this is Parker. Can you be a good big cousin to her?"

He smiled, looking up at his uncle. He leaned over, kissing her forehead softly. "Hi Par," he whispered.

JJ took out her camera, taking pictures.

* * *

"Do you want to hold her, Henry?"

"Spence, is that a good idea?"

"He'll be fine. We're all right here. Besides, I seem to recall Jack holding Henry, and he's about the same age."

JJ gave Will a look.

"JJ, we're not gon' let him hurt her."

She sighed, admitting defeat. "Fine. Henry, you have to be really careful though. And you can't get off the bed with her. You have to stay right there and hold her still. Can you do that?"

He nodded, holding up his pinky. She wrapped hers around his.

Will fixed Henry's arms, sitting on his other side. "Just like that, okay?"

Henry nodded. Spencer bit his lip, easing Parker into his arms. Once she was situated, Henry looked up at his mother, smiling. "I did it."

JJ smiled, snapping a few more pictures. "You're doing great, buddy. Good job."

Spencer kissed Henry's forehead. "Is it okay if I take her back now?"

Henry kissed his cousin's forehead one more time. "Okay, Unca Spen."

Spencer reached over, picking her back up and setting her in the bassinet. "You did amazing, Henry. I know you're going to be an awesome cousin."

Henry leaned over, hugging Spencer's stomach and squeezing. Spencer winced, inhaling and biting his lip. Will picked Henry up, taking him out of the room before he noticed he'd hurt him.

"Spence, you okay?"

He nodded, wrapping an arm around his stomach. "Just rubbed against the staples. It's no big deal." Despite what he said, the pain was written on his face.

Morgan looked in and saw Spencer in pain. "What's wrong?"

JJ sighed. "Henry aggravated his incision when he hugged him."

Morgan set his tray on the table. "Need anything?"

"Just something for the pain. Please?"

JJ reached over, pressing the call button. After the nurse came in with the medication and checked his staples, he sat up on the bed, exhaling.

"Spence, I'm so sorry."

"What? He hugged me. He didn't know."

"Maybe he shouldn't have held Parker."

"He did fine, and she didn't seem too upset about it. JJ, it's fine. These things happen."

* * *

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Morgan pushed the tray over. "Eat up, Pretty Boy."

Spencer poked around in his soup with his spoon. "When I get out of here? I want a double cheeseburger, fries, and a really big cup of coffee, extra sugar. This stuff is disgusting." He wrinkled his nose, eating the soup.

JJ sat his bed up, resting a pillow behind his back. "Have you walked yet today?"

"I did this morning. My doctor wants me to get up later, too."

"I need to get home in a little bit. Morgan, think you can handle that?"

"No problem."

* * *

"So what's the game plan again?" JJ asked.

"Well, you need to go home and be with Will and Henry while you have the time off. I'd rather you take your days off for me after I'm released, because I know I'll be needing your expert advice then. So Morgan's going to spend the night tonight, and we're going to go from there."

JJ smiled, kissing his forehead. "Take care of yourself." She looked up at Morgan. "And don't you attack my little brother with your lips again."

"Actually, Jayje, that was all me," Spencer admitted.

She gasped. "Well, well… Derek and Spence sitting in a tree…"

Spencer looked at them. "What, that song again? What's it mean?"

Morgan smiled, shaking his head. "Bye, JJ."

* * *

Later on, after the nurses took Parker back to the nursery, Morgan was going to take him for a walk around the hospital.

"I'm fine, I don't need to walk."

"Your doctor seems to think different. Now come on."

Spencer sighed, kicking his legs over the side of the bed. "I need socks."

"Where are they?"

He motioned over to his bag. Morgan dug through, taking out a pair of odd slipper socks. "These?"

Spencer groaned, embarrassed. "I need your help."

Morgan knelt beside the bed, slipping the socks onto his feet. "Do you need help getting up?"

He nodded. "This lack of independence is the worst thing I've ever experienced."

Morgan got up, holding out his hands. "Come on."

Spencer sighed, grabbing his hands and pulling himself up, wincing.

"You okay?"

"Just take it slow. I'll be fine."

He clung to Morgan's hand as they walked out to the hall.

"Sure you can handle this?"

He nodded again. "I'm fine." He stood up best he could, taking small steps.

"Doing good, Pretty Boy."

"You sure that name's appropriate? Right about now it's more like 'Sleep Deprived Stapled Shut Boy'."

"I'm not changing the name now."

"Suit yourself."

* * *

When they were halfway down the hall, Garcia walked over.

"How's my prodigy doing?"

Spencer exhaled. "Sore. Going for a walk hoping it'll help ease the pain."

"Is my niece in the nursery?"

He nodded. "And, supposedly, she's one of the biggest charmers they've ever met."

"I wouldn't be surprised, considering she has this one as her father," she said, motioning toward Morgan.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I do believe you charmed this one into making that baby," Garcia said.

"Nuh uh. Not even close. That was all him."

Garcia looked at him. "Oh really, Boy Wonder? I never pegged you as the type."

Spencer blushed, changing the subject. "I'm going to finish this walk up in a few if you want to meet back in my room, Garcia."

"I think I'll pop by the nursery, see your daughter being a flirt. Behave, you two."

"JJ told her, didn't she?" Spencer asked as she walked away.

"Oh, definitely."

* * *

Once they reached the end of the hall, Spencer looked up at him.

"Can we stop for a minute?"

Morgan nodded, sitting him down. "Take all the time you need."

He exhaled. "How's your mother taking the news?"

"She's thrilled. She wants pictures every chance I have to take one. She's constantly asking about you and the baby. She's always questioning me."

"About what?"

"If I'm involved, if I'm on the birth certificate, if I'll be helping you, how we're going to work out co-parenting, both being working parents," he saw the look on Spencer's face, "and I keep telling her that it all depends on how you decide to do it. I'm not going to pressure you into any of it. You don't owe me anything after going through this by yourself."

He chewed on the inside of his lip. "Can you?"

"Can I-?"

"I don't have any of the other answers, but one of them I can't deny. You are her father, Derek… it's only fair that you're on the birth certificate."

"You mean that?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You have no idea how much that means to me, Pretty Boy."

"They're bringing it by the room later on… but, this doesn't mean everything's set in stone. It's just me doing the right thing."

"I understand. We'll see as we go along. Baby steps."

He nodded in agreement. "Baby steps."

* * *

When they got back to his room, Morgan eased him onto the bed, pulling the blanket over him. He looked over, seeing Garcia with a shopping bag.

"Baby Girl, what'd he say about shopping?"

"I'm going to have no problem making rent this month, so this is allowed. Plus, it's perfect for her."

Spencer looked over at her. "I'm slightly frightened by your definition of 'perfect'."

She rolled her eyes, handing him the bag. "I've been waiting to do this since you were pregnant and wouldn't budge on her name."

He reached in the bag, taking out several blocks that spelled out her name. He smiled, tracing the letters. "Thanks, they're perfect."

"Keep going."

He groaned. "Garcia, you didn't."

"Keep going," she repeated.

He went through the bag, pulling out personalized pacifiers and bibs.

"Oh, wow…"

"That's not all. Check the bottom."

He raised an eyebrow, looking at the bottom of the bag. He groaned, pulling out a Spiderman onesie.

"I didn't name her after Spiderman!"

Morgan bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"That doesn't stop it from being adorable."

He put everything back in the bag, setting it beside the bed.

* * *

"So, you two are having a sleepover tonight?"

"We're testing the idea of co-parenting," Spencer said. "Seeing if we'd be able to tolerate each other enough to be in the same house with Parker for periods of time."

"You two are going to be shacking up? Living in sin? I like it."

Spencer blushed. "Not quite."

"Well, what's going to happen? You've obviously snatched up Derek Morgan, and you're _very_ lucky for that fact."

"I-I haven't… snatched him up. He's free to do whatever we wants."

"Relax, it's just an expression. So what's going on?"

"He's going to sleep on the cot JJ was on last night. We've arranged to have Parker in here for a few hours, and have a sort of… test run."

"And if that goes well?"

"We'll see what happens from there."

"You'll tell me, right?"

"Garcia!"

"What? I think after everything I did for you, especially keeping your secret, the least you could do is let me know how it works out."

He sighed. "_Maybe_. How's that?"

"Sounds like the best I'm going to get on that."

She then looked over at Morgan. "So, Derek, have you DTR'd yet?"

"Have we what?" Spencer asked, looking between them.

Morgan shook his head. "No, Garcia."

"What's it mean?"

"Determined the relationship," Garcia said. "And why not? You two have a baby together, that has to mean something."

"Yeah, it means I was a very clingy and emotional drunk person, and Derek gave into my pleas."

"But that kiss…"

Spencer sighed. "It was a spur of the moment thing. All the hormones and being happy that he was going to be there for her, it just happened."

"So are you ever going to?" Garcia asked.

"I don't know? We'll see how it goes taking care of her I guess."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Coming up - Derek and Spencer try their hand at co-parenting!


	52. Trial Run

After Garcia had left, a nurse came in with some forms, including the birth certificate.

Spencer looked through the pile. "What are these?"

"The stack below the birth certificate is for him," she said, motioning toward Morgan, "for acknowledgement of paternity, then the two of you can fill out the certificate itself."

Spencer held out the stack to him. "Knock yourself out."

"Do I really need to do this? I know she's mine, I acknowledge she's mine, does it have to be in writing?"

The nurse shrugged. "Hospital rules."

He sat down in the chair, thumbing through the forms. Afterward, he filled them out and signed them, handing them to the nurse. She looked at Spencer. "I just need you to fill out the certificate, with her first, middle, and last name, your signature, and then his. We'll fill in everything else, including time and date."

Spencer bit his lip, looking over at him. "Derek, you're not going to be upset that she has my last name, are you? I mean, we're not exactly _together_ at this point and if something goes wrong, I don't want her growing up and asking me why she and her father have two different last names."

Morgan shook his head. "It's all up to you, Pretty Boy. I'm not going to be insulted, no matter what you choose."

He sighed. "If, some point down the road, I wanted to change her last name at all… that's possible, right?"

The nurse nodded. "A bit of a pain, but yes."

Spencer chewed on his lip, holding the pen above the paper. Morgan could see that he was panicking.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

He handed the paper to Morgan. "Can you sign first while I think?"

He took the pen, signing his name and handing it back to Spencer. "Something wrong?"

"I-I just need a minute." He stared at the paper, going through several options. Finally, he filled it out, handing it to the nurse.

"Can you have someone bring her down to the room once those are filed?"

The nurse nodded, looking at the certificate and smiling. "Little Miss Parker Diana Morgan-Reid will be down here before you know it."

Morgan audibly gasped. "Reid, you didn't have to-"

"She's your daughter too, Derek. I couldn't take all the credit and just give her my last name. It wouldn't have been right. If you have a problem with it, I can probably catch up with the nurse in the hallway and change it."

He shook his head. "No it's fine. It's just not what I was expecting."

"I think this whole situation is something you weren't expecting."

"True," he reached in his pocket looking at his phone, groaning. "I'll be back in a few."

"Is it your mother?"

"Yeah, I promised I'd call her today and haven't yet."

"…Can I talk to her?"

"You want to talk to my mom?"

"If you'll let me?"

He handed the phone to Spencer. "Be my guest."

* * *

Spencer pressed the button to put it on speaker. "Hi, Mrs. Morgan."

"Sorry, I was expecting Derek. How are you doing, Spencer?"

"I'm feeling pretty good, actually. Went for a walk earlier today, filled out the birth certificate, and they're bringing her down in a few minutes so Derek and I can try our hand at co-parenting."

"He told me her first name, what's the rest?"

Spencer smiled. "We uh, we actually just finished the certificate. She's Parker Diana Morgan-Reid."

"Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. How is she?"

"Mrs. Morgan… she's perfect. I can't even begin to put it all into words. She has my hair and my eyes and Derek's mouth and she's got tiny little fingers and toes. She yawns when she's tired and it scrunches her face up and she's great. Thank you for having your son all those years ago so he could father her because she's an amazing combination of the two of us and I can't imagine not having her."

"Enough with the 'Mrs. Morgan', Spencer. You're family. It's Fran."

Morgan bit his lip to hold back a laugh.

"Derek Morgan, what's so funny?"

"Nothing, momma."

Spencer smiled. "Sorry, Fran. I'll do my best to remember that. I'm sorry to cut this short, but they're bringing Parker back soon. I'll have Derek call you later, and let you know how tonight went."

"Be sure he takes plenty of pictures."

"I will."

"And if he does anything wrong, let me know."

Spencer smiled. "I definitely will. Goodbye."

* * *

He handed the phone to Derek. "She's taking it well."

"Don't you go turning my mom against me."

Spencer shrugged. "I didn't say anything. She's choosing my side all on her own."

* * *

Later on, they had Parker in the room, ready to see how they'd do working together.

"Do you even know how to change a diaper, Morgan?"

"I guess I could give it a try."

Spencer smiled. "Come over here," he said, laying Parker on the bed in front of him.

Morgan sat beside him. "Teach me your ways."

"Well, the last time I did it was when JJ was in the room with me, but I'd like to think I can handle it solo too, and teach you in the process. Now, pass me one of the newborn diapers and some wipes."

Morgan reached over, grabbing the diaper and wipes off the nightstand, handing them to him.

"Okay, so first, you have to lay her down on a soft surface. The last thing you want is her to hit her head and start screaming or hurt herself. Then, you have to get the old diaper off," Spencer said, unfastening it and slipping it off of her. "If it's not an easy off, try holding her feet and lifting her, but obviously don't grip too hard."

"Noted…"

He took one of the wipes, wiping her clean. "Be very careful, especially if she develops a diaper rash. Last thing you're going to want is an agitated baby during a diaper change."

"Uh huh."

He then laid the clean diaper under her, putting it on. "And just watch out for her umbilical cord stump," he instructed, folding the top of the diaper over.

"I thought the umbilical cord got cut when she was born."

"Cut, yes. But the remaining stump doesn't fall off for a few weeks."

"It just falls off of her?"

Spencer nodded, snapping her onesie, wrapping her in the blanket, and picking her up. "All I have to do is keep it clean and dry, and give her sponge baths until it does fall off."

"I?"

"Sorry, _we_," he corrected. "It's going to take some getting used to."

"No problem."

Spencer smiled. "Since we're apparently going to be a team now? Next diaper change is all yours."

"Can't wait."

* * *

Later on, while they were testing their parenting skills, Parker was being fussy.

"Morgan, what'd I do? She's fed, she's burped, she's got a clean diaper, I didn't do anything wrong by the books. I don't know what to do."

"Calm down, Pretty Boy," Morgan said, holding her against his chest. "You panicking isn't going to help the situation."

"I've only been a parent for a day and a half and I've obviously already done something terribly wrong."

"Call JJ," he said, humming softly, rubbing her back.

"But it's late. She might be sleeping."

"You need someone to calm you down, and I can't do both of you at the same time. Call her."

He wiped his eyes, reaching over, grabbing his phone, and calling JJ.

JJ reached over on her nightstand, sighing. Seeing Spencer on the caller ID, she answered immediately.

"Hey, Spence."

"Were you sleeping? I'm so sorry to wake you up. Parker won't stop crying no matter what I do and I'm already feeling like I've failed her as a parent. I don't know what I did wrong and I'm scared they're going to take her from me because I can't calm her down."

"Breathe. The very first thing you need to do right now is calm down and breathe."

He sniffed, wiping his eyes and taking a deep breath. "It's really hard, JJ. She won't stop crying. I even tried the skin-to-skin contact and she just screamed louder. I thought that was supposed to be the one thing that always worked."

"Take another breath."

"But Jayje."

"Do it."

He sighed, taking another deep breath.

"There you go."

"What do I do now?"

She sat up in bed, walking out to the hall. "When I had Henry, I had the same breakdown, trust me. It happens."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. You're doing the right thing calling and asking for advice instead of just sitting in your room, crying yourself sick. Is Morgan there with you?"

"Yeah, he has her. But JJ, the nurse said if she doesn't calm down soon they'll have to take her to the nursery and I don't want that. We need to test this out and we can't if they take her."

"Calm down. Have Morgan turn the lights off."

He put his hand over the phone, pointing to the light switch. He walked over, hitting the switch with his elbow and walking back, sitting in the rocking chair.

"Now what?"

* * *

While Spencer was frantic on the phone with JJ, Morgan reached in his pocket, taking out his mp3 player. He went through his playlists, putting on the softest music he could find, and put it on the lowest volume setting. He cradled her against his chest, slowly rocking back and forth. He reached over, grabbing a pacifier and putting it in her mouth, humming softly.

"Spence, I don't hear her crying anymore. Is she okay?"

He panicked, setting down the phone and looking over. He smiled, seeing her fast asleep against Derek's chest, him humming a lullaby to her.

"She's fine, Morgan got her down."

"How'd that happen?"

"I have no idea. It was all his work and he definitely needs to teach me his ways."

"Looks like you chose a good one, Spence."

"I-I guess so. I'll talk to you later, Jayje. Thank you for your help."

"No problem. How did signing the birth certificate go?"

He bit his lip. "He's her father. He's on the birth certificate and I hyphenated her last name."

"Parker Diana Morgan-Reid? Quite the little mouthful."

He smiled. "A little bit, huh?"

"Get some sleep."

He hung up the phone, and quickly snapped a picture of the two of them.

* * *

"How'd you do it?"

"Hm?" Morgan asked, looking up.

"How'd you calm her down? It was a hopeless case."

He smiled. "Rocking on the chair, humming, and soft music. Add in sucking on her pacifier, she went right down for me."

"Derek Morgan, you're a genius. Thank you."

"For what? Taking care of my daughter?"

"For calming her down when I couldn't. I wouldn't have been able to do it."

"You'd have figured it out eventually… after JJ calmed _you_ down."

"I wasn't that bad."

He gave him a look. "Oh?"

"I _might've_ been that bad."

"That's what I thought."

"Should we move her? Put her in the bassinet or have them take her to the nursery?"

"She's fine here. I don't mind it."

"You might want to move eventually."

"I'll worry about that when the time comes."

* * *

"Thanks again, Derek."

He looked up at him. "It was no problem."

"No, I mean, for everything. For being so good about me keeping her a secret from you, and being so willing to jump into parenting. I honestly didn't expect this reaction."

"What'd you think I was going to do?"

He shrugged. "I thought maybe you'd be upset or go off on me or show a bit of anger or something."

"Why would I do that? The last thing you need is added stress at this point."

He bit his lip. "Maybe this can work."

"What's that?"

"Us, you know. Raising her together. Both being there. Not having to split her between two homes."

"You really mean that?"

"After I get home, we can try it at my apartment. See if this night isn't just a fluke. And if it all works out, we can go from there."

Morgan smiled. "Thanks, Pretty Boy." He bent down and kissed Parker's forehead. "She really is perfect."

Spencer smiled, nodding. "I guess we make adorable children."

"_Children_? You got something on your mind? Barely have her out and you're already making plans for a second? That's pretty bold."

"Oh god, no. I love her dearly, but I can say there are absolutely no plans in the near future for her to be an older sibling. Unless, of course, you'd like to test to see if you'd be able to carry a sibling. Then, by all means, let the discussions begin."

"I think I'm more than okay with just having her for now. Something tells me she's going to be a bit of a handful."

"If what just happened is an indicator of what's to come, then we're definitely going to be busy and on our toes."

Morgan looked at him. "But I think we'll be able to handle it. We'll have each other to work off of, you'll have JJ, I can call my mom anytime we have a question. No matter what the time of day, I'm sure she'd be thrilled to give her expert advice. Then there's Hotch – I'm sure we can't just call him whenever we need something, but I'm pretty sure he'd be willing to help too."

"So we're not totally alone in this?"

"Not by a long shot. We've got plenty of people who have been there who are on our side and going to help us out with raising her. She's also got her aunts, who are going to spoil her rotten."

"It's probably going to be a contest. They're going to compete against each other to see who can be the absolute best at spoiling her."

"…I'm going to need to buy a second apartment just to store everything, aren't I?"

"It's highly likely."

* * *

"So, who's replacing me at work until I come off leave?"

"Nuh uh."

"What? It's just a question."

"Strict orders from Hotch. None of us are going to talk about anything work-related around you to keep your mind off of the BAU."

"But come on, it's just one question."

"Agent Seaver. That's all I'm going to say."

"What about-"

"Nope."

"How are they-"

"Nice try."

"Fine," he said, setting a pillow behind his back. "I'll find out eventually."

"Oh, I'm sure you will."

* * *

After Spencer fell asleep, Morgan reached for his phone, calling JJ.

JJ answered the phone, groaning. "What is he breaking down over now?"

"Nothing, he's asleep. I need a favor in the morning."

"What is it?"

"I need you to bring the carseat with you tomorrow so I can stick it in my car for when I get him home in a couple days."

"Is it really going that well?"

"We talked it over and we're going to see how staying at his apartment works. We're not going to rush it or anything, but we'll see how it goes."

She smiled. "I'll bring it with me tomorrow. Promise me you'll take good care of them?"

"I promise," he looked down to see Parker looking up at him, "your goddaughter's looking up at me right now with those baby blues."

"It's because she misses me. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Get some sleep."

He smiled, hanging up the phone and kissing Parker's forehead. "You're okay, Pretty Girl. Papa's got you."

She yawned, curling up against his chest. "Papa's always got you. No matter what."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Coming up - going home!


	53. Homecoming

A few days later, Spencer was released from the hospital, despite what he thought was the best decision.

"But, Derek, what if I need help with her or I'm not healing right? Or what if something's wrong with her that hasn't really presented itself yet?

Morgan shook his head, slipping shoes onto Spencer's feet. "She's fine and you're fine. If anything does happen, we can come back. It's not like you're being banned."

"But maybe I should see if I can stay an extra day, just in case."

"Pretty Boy, they've done all they can do. You're taken care of, and so is she. It's our turn to take care of her now."

"But-"

"But nothing," he said, getting up and picking up Parker. "Besides, we've got to get her into the adorable homecoming outfit that Aunt Penny got for her."

Spencer smiled slightly, taking it out of her bag. "Are you sure this is going to be okay on her? Maybe we should put her in a onesie."

"She's going to be fine," he said, laying her on the bed.

Spencer took the tags off of the outfit and took out the hanger.

"Is she trying to make our daughter her mini me?"

"I guess so," he said, slipping the dress over her head. "Where'd her socks and hat go?" Morgan handed them to him. Spencer put her socks on, smiling. "You look so adorable." He slipped the beanie onto her head, then sat her up in his lap, kissing her forehead. "Absolutely perfect."

Morgan smiled, taking out his phone and taking a picture. He then sent it to his mother. "Pretty Boy, we've got to get her into the carseat."

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"Positive." Morgan set the carseat on the bed in front of Spencer. "Just put her in, then buckle her."

Spencer bit his lip, picking her up and setting her in a carseat. He was careful that her head was supported in the cushion, then buckled her in, tightening the straps. "Did I do it right?"

"Perfect. JJ's on her way up to help you into the wheelchair and get you down to the car. And before you ask, yes, you do need to be in a wheelchair."

* * *

JJ walked in a few minutes after, wheelchair in tow. She walked over, looking in the carseat. The little girl, with her soft caramel skin and tuft of light brown hair to match Spencer's, was sucking on her hand.

"Oh, she's so adorable in that outfit! Look at her little dress!"

"That's all thanks to her Aunt Penny."

"I can tell," she said, looking at Spencer. "Ready to go?"

He sighed. "Help me up?"

She nodded, taking his hand and pulling him up. He groaned, wrapping an arm around his stomach and easing himself into the chair. "Why are they letting me go home?"

"Because they know you can take it from here, despite what you might think."

She glanced over at Morgan. "Ready, Derek?"

He nodded as he put a blanket over her and adjusted her beanie.

She pushed Spencer's wheelchair out of the room and toward the elevator.

"The nurses told me they're going to miss her in the nursery. She was always able to put a smile on their faces."

"You've got a charmer. Not necessarily a bad thing," she said, pressing the button.

* * *

"Derek, would you be insulted if after we got to the apartment, I took a nap?"

"No problem. I'll take Parker and go pick up some dinner for us."

"What? No, you can't do that! What about the germs? She could get sick. I don't want a sick newborn."

"She's going to be fine. I'll put her in the carriage and put the cover over so she can relax and not have a bunch of people staring at her, though if they do, I can't blame them."

"Can you do something else? JJ, can you watch her while he runs to a restaurant and grabs the food, please?"

She sighed. "No problem, Spence."

Morgan looked at JJ. "When's that going to stop?"

"Mine with Henry lasted a while. It eventually just fades out."

* * *

When they got in the car, Spencer made sure the carseat was secure. JJ turned back to look at him.

"Spence, she's fine. I installed it, and I've done this before. She's going to be fine."

He bit his lip, nodding, stroking her cheek with his finger. "We're on our way home, Parker. I can't wait for you to see your room. We worked really hard on it so it'd be perfect for you."

"Yeah, he even made me move your crib six times so it was in the right spot," Morgan said, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I just wanted to be sure you'd be sleeping in the perfect spot, though you won't be in your crib for a little while. We've got your pack and play and the bassinet next to daddy's bed. I hope you like it."

JJ smiled, reaching back and squeezing Spencer's hand. "You're going to be fine. You know how to be a great parent. What you didn't read? It'll all come to you and be instinct."

He nodded, squeezing back and watching Parker sleep.

* * *

As soon as Morgan pulled up to his apartment, he looked out the window. "Welcome home, Parker," he said softly. JJ got out and opened his door.

"Can I grab her?" Spencer asked.

"With how your staples are? You won't want to be picking up a pillow. Come on, let's get you inside."

She helped him up, taking his hand and walking him inside.

Morgan smiled, opening the back door, lifting the handle and picking up her carseat. "This is definitely going to be an adventure, little lady. Let's hope it goes well."

He walked up the steps, and pushed open the door when they made it to the apartment.

"Oh my god, she looks so cute!" Garcia squealed, kneeling beside the carseat after Morgan set it down.

"What are you doing here?"

"What, I didn't have work, did you really expect me to just wait and see how coming home went?"

"I guess not. I need to go pick up some dinner for him, can you and JJ keep an eye on her?"

"Not a problem."

Morgan set down her bag. "The hospital gave us some of the small bottles for her formula, so I'm going to pick up more of those while I'm out. She has some diapers leftover, but Pretty Boy says there's some in the pack and play and there's even more upstairs in her closet. If you need anything-"

"Derek Morgan, are you panicking?"

"What?"

"He is totally panicking," JJ said, walking in and setting some burping cloths and swaddling blankets in the pack and play. "Spence is down for a nap now. He should be awake by the time you get back."

"Do you guys want anything while I'm out?"

"We'll text you if we need anything. Now go."

He knelt down, kissing Parker's forehead, then gave a quick wave before leaving the apartment.

Garcia looked at JJ. "And you didn't want to tell him."

* * *

While Morgan was out grabbing dinner, JJ and Garcia sat on the couch.

"How is he with her?"

"Spence says he's perfect. The other night? He called me panicking because Parker wouldn't stop crying no matter what he did. I tried telling him what to do, but he wouldn't calm down long enough for me to help him. Before I knew it, she'd stopped crying. Turns out Morgan got her down without a sweat."

"How's his mom taking the news?"

"She calls to check up on them every few hours, practically like clockwork. She makes sure they know what they're doing and they're taking good care of her."

"Has Boy Wonder told his mom?"

"He wrote her a letter yesterday and sent it with some photos." She ran a hand through her hair. "He's really nervous that she's not going to like her."

"It's her grandchild, how can she not?"

She shrugged.

"Any word on how the living situation's going to work?"

"From what I heard, Spence is going to be in his room, and Derek's going to be on the pull-out couch."

"So what, they can make a baby, but not share a bed?"

"That was ten months ago. I doubt it'll be easy for Spence to get that comfortable with him again."

* * *

Garcia sighed, lowering her voice. "I heard Hotch talking to Strauss at work on Friday. Morgan has the next few weeks off to help him around the house, and Hotch refused to let either of them be penalized for fraternization."

"Did she _really_ try playing that card?"

She nodded. "Tried saying that two people on the same team being involved is only going to cause trouble."

JJ rolled her eyes.

"So when Derek comes back to work in a couple weeks, she's going to have a discussion with him."

"Of course, why wouldn't she trust Hotch's judgment when he knows us better than himself?"

"Because she's a permanent hardass without a clue?" Garcia suggested.

"What are we going to do without Morgan for a few weeks?"

"Well, because of that, I'm going with the team as media liaison, you're in the field, and Seaver's coming earlier than she planned. How well is Boy Wonder going to handle not being in the loop on the job?"

"As well as he handled sitting at home watching episodes of Doctor Who? You know at one point, he called me crying because of an episode."

"Which one?"

"Doomsday I think."

"I don't blame him, I would've too!"

* * *

When Parker started stirring and whimpering, they heard Spencer move on his bed.

"Spence, stay in bed."

"But she needs me," they heard him whine.

"No, she needs you to rest up and be in good health when we're not here, get back in bed. We'll wake you when Morgan gets back with dinner."

He sighed, laying back on his bed. "If she needs me, you'll let me know?"

"In a heartbeat."

* * *

Meanwhile, Garcia walked over, picking her up.

"You're okay, little princess," she said, kissing her forehead."Is she due for a feeding?"

Spencer looked at the alarm clock on his nightstand. "Right on time."

JJ went through her bag, taking out a bottle. After warming it, she tested it on her wrist, and handed it to Garcia.

She smiled, sitting on the couch, holding Parker against her chest and feeding her.

"God, Morgan and Reid made a cute baby."

"She certainly got the best of both worlds when it comes to genetics."

"Oh, she did. Such a perfect little cutie."

"Just imagine when Momma Morgan gets a hold of her. We might not see her again."

"I guess I can share her," Garcia said, holding the bottle up, "hungry, aren't you?"

JJ stretched. "Henry made me promise him something."

"What's that?"

"That when she's older, he can play with 'Par-er' in his tree house."

"Those two are going to be double trouble once she learns to talk."

"Definitely."

* * *

Once Morgan got back to the apartment, he walked inside, setting the bags down on the table in the living room.

"How was she?"

Garcia put a finger to her lips, pointing to the pack and play.

"She's eaten, she's gotten a diaper change, and now she's down for a nap."

"What about Spencer?"

"Having trouble accepting the fact that he can't do everything for her."

"Is he still sleeping?"

JJ nodded, getting up. "I'll go wake him for dinner."

* * *

While Garcia unpacked the bags, Morgan stood beside the pack and play, smiling.

"Someone's a proud papa," Garcia said, looking up at him.

He smiled. "How can I not be? Just look at her."

"So you're not mad at him?"

He shook his head. "If I were in his shoes? I probably would've done the same thing."

"You would?"

"Yeah, I mean, despite how well I know someone, I'm not going to force them to commit to a one-night stand."

"You know an awful lot about one-night stands, don't you?" she said with a wink.

He pointed a finger at her. "Watch that mouth of yours around my daughter."

She sighed. "Fine, if you insist."

* * *

JJ sat beside Spencer, rubbing his back. "Time for dinner, Spence."

He sighed, looking at the clock and groaning. "I'm not going to be getting enough sleep, am I?"

"It's going to be quite the adventure," she said, pulling off his blanket. "Now come on."

"Who has Parker?"

"She's down for a nap right now, and Morgan's sitting beside the pack and play as we speak."

He sat up, wincing slightly. "But she's okay?"

"She's fine. We know what we're doing, and she's in good hands."

He nodded, sighing. "Sorry."

"Don't be. You just have to get used to help. Hotch gave Morgan the next couple weeks off so he can be around for you, and for Parker while you're healing."

"I could handle her."

"After major surgery on your stomach? I don't think so."

He bit his lip. "He's taking good care of her, right?"

"Spence, all I can say is… he's a natural. You have absolutely nothing to worry about with him."

He smiled slightly, pushing himself off the bed.

* * *

"What'd you get for dinner?" Spencer asked, sitting on the couch and exhaling.

"Chinese," Morgan said, handing him a tray and chopsticks.

"You don't know me very well, do you?"

"What?"

"I may have an IQ of 187 and an eidetic memory, but chopsticks are my sworn enemy."

Morgan shook his head, handing him a fork. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic."

* * *

While they were eating, Spencer looked over at him. "When's your mom coming?"

"She can get time off work next Friday and spend the weekend, if that's okay with you."

Spencer nodded, setting his tray down. "That's fine." He looked over at the pack and play. "She moved, maybe I should check on her."

JJ pointed a finger at him. "You will do no such thing. It is a curse to wake a sleeping child."  
"What if it was a sign or something?"

"It was," Garcia started, "for 'Daddy, leave me alone, I'm sleeping'."

He sighed, sitting back on the couch. "Fine. But the second she needs me…"

"You'll go right over. We know."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Coming up - their first night.


	54. First Night

After JJ and Garcia left for the night, Spencer turned to Morgan.

"I'm worried about something."

"Now, why doesn't that surprise me?" he said, picking up the trays and throwing them away.

"What are you going to do about Clooney if you're going to be staying here?"

"Well," he started, "the first time I visited, I grabbed one of the swaddling blankets you'd put around Parker and brought it home, so he could pick up on her scent, and know that if I smelled like her, it wasn't a bad thing."

"That's actually pretty impressive."

"You're not the only one who can read up."

"So what's going to happen?"

"Well, once he's comfortable with her scent and you're feeling up to it, I'd like to bring him here. We could see how he works with her. He's usually good around kids, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"What if it is? I don't want you to have to get rid of your dog because of my daughter."

"_Your_ daughter?"

"Sorry, _our_ daughter. Nobody should have to sacrifice a member of their family for another member of their family."

"If Clooney does have a problem with her, which I highly doubt, we'll just have to do our best to keep him away from her."

Spencer sighed.

"And if it helps? When I went back to the apartment smelling like her just now? He was _very_ happy and not at all defensive."

"Really?"

"It's something you don't need to worry about. Why don't you go lay down, I'll take the first watch while you rest up?"

Spencer checked his watch and bit his lip. "But she's due for a feeding soon."

"Do you want to stay up for that, and then go to bed?"

He nodded. "I know it sounds ridiculous, but I want to get as much time with her as I can. She'll be grown up before we know it and I don't want to miss out on anything in the beginning."

"I get it. It's fine. Where are your blankets and pillows?"

"Hall closet," Spencer said, pointing.

* * *

Morgan walked over, looking through, grabbing several blankets and pillows, and setting them on the couch beside Spencer.

"I have an air mattress if you don't want to be on the couch."

"It's fine. I've slept on the jet multiple times – next to that, this couch is going to be heaven."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about it."

"You've known me how long? Worrying is sort of in my nature."

Morgan shook his head. "I found the formula at the store earlier, both the container and the little bottles. So we're all set for a while."

"What about wipes?"

"Stocked up on those too."

"How much do I owe you?"

Morgan gave him a look.

"Right, sorry."

* * *

A few minutes later, Parker woke up, whimpering. Spencer sighed. "Can you hand her to me?"

"Still sore?"

He nodded, grabbing a burping cloth and putting it over his shoulder. Morgan rested her in his arms and left to go make a bottle. While he waited, Spencer did his best to keep her calm. When Morgan came back with a warmed up bottle, he kissed Parker's forehead, feeding her.

Morgan took the seat beside him, looking down at her. "Never thought I'd be so happy with my life making a complete 180."

Spencer looked up at him. "Do you really mean that?"

"Last week, I didn't even think about being a father. Now? I can't picture not having her."

Spencer smiled. "After she's done eating, we should probably give her a bath, get the smell of the hospital off of her."

"And then when she goes down, you need to wash up, get the smell off of you."

"Very funny. Can you grab the tub and baby soap from her nursery, and a towel from the hall closet?"

"No problem," he said, getting off the couch and walking to the nursery.

After you eat, we're going to clean you up, and you're going to have that awesome baby smell, and we're going to get you in your pajamas, and you're going back to bed when daddy does so the two of us can sleep. Doesn't that sound fantastic?" Spencer looked over at Morgan. "Just fill the tub with 1 to 2 inches of warm water. Not too hot and not too cold."

"Got it," he said, putting the tub in the sink and filling it, testing the water.

* * *

When the bottle was empty, Spencer rested her against his chest, patting her back softly and humming.

"Come on, you always do it for Papa. I think it's time you do it for Daddy, don't you?"

Morgan smiled. "A little harder on the pat. It's not going to hurt her."

He sighed, biting his lip, patting her back. Luckily for him, she burped for him, spitting up.

Spencer gasped. "You did it!" he said excitedly, wiping her mouth off. "Do you have her pajamas ready, and a new diaper?"

Morgan held them up. "All set."

Spencer laid her back on the couch, taking off her outfit. "Let me guess, you have a camera ready for her first bath?"

"You bet."

He smiled. "I think Papa's a little obsessed with you."

"Making up for a bit of lost time, that's all."

"Haha," Spencer said, picking her up and walking to the kitchen.

* * *

"Sure you're okay?"

"I'm definitely going to take you up on that sleeping offer," he said, handing Parker to him.

Morgan smiled, lowering her into the tub.

"Don't forget to support her neck and head with one hand so she doesn't get hurt."

Morgan kept his hand behind her neck. "Like I was planning?"

"Sorry."

"Would you like to do the honors?" he asked, holding out the soap and wash cloth.

He poured the soap onto the cloth, and started washing her. "She doesn't seem too happy."

"I wouldn't be either if I couldn't nap because people wanted to clean me."

She whimpered, squirming.

"Shh, almost done," Spencer said, rinsing her hair. He then grabbed a cup, filling it with water and pouring it. He gasped. "And we're all clean."

Morgan smiled, picking her up and wrapping her in a hooded towel, patting her dry. He then walked to Spencer's room, laying her on top of the towel. Spencer followed, her pajamas in hand.

While Spencer got her dressed, Morgan couldn't resist getting more pictures of her.

"You're worse than Garcia," Spencer said, snapping her pajamas shut.

"Are those footie pajamas?"

"Thanks to Aunt JJ," Spencer said, picking her up. "Are you sure you're all set with her?"

"No problem. Go wash yourself up and sleep. If I need you, I'll wake you."

"I could set an alarm to get up if you'd like."

"If you do that, I'm unplugging, shutting off, and disconnecting all electronics. You need to relax while you have the chance," Morgan said, taking Parker and resting her against his chest.

"Be good for Papa, okay?"

"She'll be fine with me. It's okay to let your guard down. I'm not going to let anything happen to her."

Spencer kissed her forehead one last time before Morgan went to the living room, setting her in the pack and play while he laid back on the couch.

* * *

After taking his shower, which was no easy task, Spencer walked into the living room to give Morgan some instructions.

"Don't let her sleep more than three hours. If she doesn't wake herself up, you should get her up every three hours to eat. If not, she could get dehydrated then we'd have to take her back to the doctor and I really don't want them to think I'm a failure as a parent this early in the game."

"No problem."

"And she's not going to eat on a set schedule, so don't do it EXACTLY every three hours, but don't go too long without feeding her."

"Okay."

"Please don't take her out of the house either. I know it's late at night and you wouldn't, but I really don't want her exposed to all those germs too early in her life."

"It won't happen."

"But that doesn't mean to make her a shut-in either. If she does go outside, be sure she's well covered and not in crowded areas."

"It's nighttime, she's not going anywhere this late until she's sixteen and sneaking out of the house past curfew – that was a _joke_, Pretty Boy."

"My only concern is," Morgan scoffed. "Very funny. My only concern and what you should _really_ wake me for is a fever. But if you feel the need to wake me for something else, it's fine. I won't be upset."

"All I need for you to do right now is go to your room and go to bed before all your talking wakes her up."

He sighed. "Just… trust your instincts the best you can. If you have any questions, I won't be mad if you wake me."

"She's going to be fine for a few hours while you catch up on some sleep. Go on."

Spencer looked down at her, placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and walked to his room, lying back on the bed. Luckily for him, sleep came to him very easy that night.

* * *

Derek checked the clock, getting up and warming up a bottle. He then carefully lifted Parker out of the pack and play and rested her against his chest.

"Oh, I know you're going to hate this, Baby Girl, but daddy's getting some very much needed sleep and Papa's got to feed you," he said, testing the bottle on his wrist. Once she started fussing, he rested the tip against her lip and waited. Finally, she started drinking. "And there we go, great job."

He watched in awe as she drank her bottle, and smiled when she finished. "Another great job. Give Papa a burp and a diaper change and you're free to go back to bed," he said, kissing her forehead and sitting her in his lap, supporting her neck and patting her back. After a burp, cleanup, and diaper change, he laid Parker back down and she fell right to sleep. He set the alarm on his phone for four hours later, then went out to the kitchen, making a phone call.

* * *

"Derek? Is something wrong? It's the middle of the night…"

"Sorry, momma. It's my first night home with Parker, I could really use some of your expert advice right about now."

"Well is she crying?"

"No."

"Is she hungry?"

"I just fed her."

"Does she need a diaper change?"

"Just done."

"Is she sleeping?"

"Yes."

"On her back? Nothing around her?"

"Yes."

"Then you're doing fine."

He looked in at her pack and play and smiled. "It means a lot coming from you."

"Where's Spencer?"

"I sent him to bed a few hours ago. He barely slept at the hospital because he was so worried about her, and then he wanted to take the first watch."

"Once again, you're doing fine. Does he have a baby monitor?"

"Yeah, one right next to his bed, and the other one's clipped to the pack and play. Should I turn it off?"

"You will do no such thing. He just wants to hear her breathing, it's normal."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Now, tell me what's going on with you and Spencer."

He peeked into Spencer's bedroom, making sure he was asleep. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're living together, aren't you?"

"We're trying it at least. Seeing if we can handle living together before we make any decisions."

"Is anything happening between you two?"

"Momma!"

"Keep your voice down, Derek, you'll wake the baby."

He sighed. "No, there isn't anything happening between us. We're just working on raising her together for now, and we'll worry about that when it comes."

"Why don't you go get some sleep while you can, and you can call me later if you have any questions?"

"Are you sure?"

"It's not a problem."

"Sorry for waking you, momma."

"It's fine, Derek. First time parents get paranoid."

"I'm not _paranoid_. And don't you give me that look."

"Goodnight, Derek."

"Night, Momma. Love you."

He hung up the phone, walking over to the couch, laying back, and pulling a blanket over himself.

* * *

When Spencer woke up, he checked the clock. Seeing that it was the next morning, he immediately panicked. After carefully getting himself out of bed, he wrapped an arm around his stomach, walking out to the kitchen.

"Morning, Pretty Boy," Morgan said, mixing pancake batter.

"You let me sleep all night?"

"Yes…"

"Why?"

"Because you needed it."

"But Parker-"

"Did just fine with her Papa last night. She had two feedings, a few diaper changes, and now she's relaxing."

Spencer's eyes went over to the pack and play. "…Where is she? She's not there. Derek, where'd you put her?"

"Calm down," Morgan said, putting some batter into the pan, "she's right over here."

Spencer walked over to the kitchen and looked next to the table. He smiled and let out a sigh of relief at the sight of her in her swing, fast asleep.

"Did you send a picture to your mom?"

Derek held up his phone. "And it went out to Aunt Penny and Aunt JJ too."

* * *

Spencer took the seat beside her, stroking her cheek with his finger. "So she had a good first night home?"

"Perfect. She was a little fussy when I had to get her up for a feeding late last night, but other than that? Barely a peep out of her."

"Was the couch okay?"

"It was fine. Slept like a baby."

"I don't know why people use that phrase… babies sleep sporadically and often wake up screaming or after soiling themselves."

Morgan shook his head, setting a plate in front of him. "Eat up."

* * *

"What do you think the team's up to right now?"

"Nuh uh."

"Come on, I'm just curious."

Morgan sighed, looking at the clock. "Right about now? Garcia's putting pictures of Parker all over her lair, JJ's putting a few on her desk, Hotch is probably asking one of them how you are, Rossi's getting some coffee to escape the baby talk, and Prentiss is probably feeling pretty lonely down in the bullpen."

"Pretty good," Spencer said, cutting into his pancakes, "when's she due for another feeding?"

"Another hour."

"I'll get it. After breakfast, go lie down."

"You sure?"

He nodded, eating. "You took last night. The least I can do is pick up today."

"The least you can do is nothing. You carried her for nearly ten months without any of my help. Helping with her isn't a chore or a task, it's parenting, and you don't owe me taking time with her."

"Please, can I just take care of this morning?" Spencer asked, looking up at him.

Morgan sighed. "Yes. But don't go using those eyes on me every day. The last time you used those, we made her," he said, pointing to the swing.

Spencer smiled. "And you don't regret it at all, do you?"

"At this point, can't say I do."

* * *

**Author's Note:** There's a few more chapters left in this story, and then I'm taking a small writing break (probably won't last long... knowing me, I'm going to be back at it the next day) before starting the sequel, as well as a few other stories. Thanks everyone for liking my story. It means a lot to see that after three years of not being able to write a word, I've still got it in me!


	55. Companion

After Morgan woke up, he sat up on the couch, stretching.

"Pretty Boy, I need to head back to my apartment and pick up a few things. Want to come?"  
Spencer looked over. "You mean take her outside?"

"It's warm outside, she's not going to catch a cold or anything. And we'll keep her in her carseat. You can even stay in the car with her while I run inside if you'd like."

"…Can she meet Clooney?"

"We can try it," Morgan said with a shrug, getting up and grabbing his bag.

Spencer bit his lip, looking at Parker. "And if he doesn't like her?"

"We'll figure something out."

He contemplated it for a minute, then looked over at Morgan. "Can you grab her carseat while I pack a diaper bag?"

"No problem."

* * *

A few minutes later, Morgan walked over with the carseat and set it down.

"You do realize we're only going to be gone for an hour, maybe two? You're packing like you're never coming home."

"It's better have and not need, than need and not have."

Morgan shook his head, handing him some bottles. "Ready to go?"

"Just need to get her dressed."

"What's wrong with her onesie?"

"She spit up on it. It's dirty."

"You know that she's just going to spit up again, right?"

Spencer ignored him, looking through the bag and taking out one of the outfits he'd packed. He set the bag down, getting her dressed and putting on a beanie.

"Can you get her buckled in?"

Morgan picked her up, setting her in the carseat and clicking the buckle.

"Do we need anything else for the trip?"

"I've got diapers, formula, bottles, outfits, burping cloths, bibs, hand sanitizer, formula, a changing pad, a blanket, and wipes."

"Then I guess we're all set," Morgan said, lifting the handle and picking up the carseat. He walked out of the apartment and toward his car.

Spencer took a deep breath, sighing, hoping the trip would go well. He shouldered the bag and walked out, locking the door behind him.

* * *

When they were in the car, he looked in the backseat.

"Maybe I should sit back there with her, make sure she's in there right."

"If you want me to pull over so you can get in the backseat, I will. But I promise, her carseat's in correctly and nothing bad is going to happen between here and my place."

Spencer shook his head, facing forward. He took his phone out of his pocket and checking the caller ID, answered it.

"Hey, JJ."

"You sound upset, is something up?"

He sighed. "No, just nervous. We're on our way to Morgan's place so he can grab some clothes and anything else he'll need to stay at my apartment."

"Ah, first trip out of the house with the baby?"

"Bingo."

"She's going to be fine, you two know what you're doing."

"I hope so."

"Do you still need me to take a few days off, come help you out?"

"I think we have it under control for now. Though when Morgan goes back to work, I'm probably going to need a little help."

"When's he going back?"

"Hotch gave him until next Friday, so he'd go back the Monday after."

"That's not so bad. Gives you time to get the hang of it."

"Until I'm left on my own?"

"You know that's not going to happen. Even if he's back at work and you're on a case, you know you can call Will anytime you need something."

"I don't want to be a bother though."

"You'd be far from it, trust me."

"Is that why you called? To check up on me?"

"Sort of… also to tell you something."

He sighed. "You have a case, don't you?"

"…Yeah. We're leaving in an hour. It's in Wisconsin, so there's going to be a time difference, but if you need to call me you can."

He bit his lip. "Do they really need you?"

"We're down two people, Spence, we can't be down a third. Calm yourself down before you work yourself up. It's not going to be that bad. If there's any problem whatsoever, you can call me, you can call Will, you have Morgan's mother, and of course, you have Morgan right there."

He exhaled, wiping his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. Stay safe, okay? She's going to need her Aunt JJ."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Take care of yourself. I expect pictures every day."

He smiled. "You'll get them."

"I'll call you tonight. Let me know how your day goes."

"I will. Bye, Jayje."

"Bye, Spence."

He sighed, hanging up the phone. "Team's got a case in Wisconsin."

"Let me guess, no details?"

He shook his head. "But um, JJ's going to be calling every night to check up. And she wants pictures every day."

"That doesn't surprise me," Morgan said, pulling up to his apartment.

* * *

Spencer looked in the backseat.

"Do you two want to stay here and I'll run in, make it as quick as possible?"

Spencer shook his head. "We should go in. Let her get used to Clooney. Let him get used to her."

"You sure? We don't have to do this today."

He nodded, opening his door and getting out of the car. Morgan handed him his house key while he picked up the carrier. Spencer shouldered the bag. "Nice place."

Morgan shrugged. "It's something."

He closed his car door and walked inside, Spencer following closely.

* * *

When they got to his apartment, Spencer unlocked the door, walking inside.

"Wow," he said, looking around. "Quite the place."

Morgan shrugged. "It's home."

"Not what I pictured."

"How often have you been picturing my apartment, Pretty Boy?"

Spencer blushed, sitting on the couch. "That's not what I meant."

* * *

He heard the pattering of paws running toward them.

"Derek…" he said cautiously.

Morgan set down her carrier and knelt down, whistling. Spencer chewed on his lip nervously, putting his feet up on the couch.

"Are you scared of dogs?"

"Have you not heard of the 'Reid effect'? It applies with children and dogs. Especially dogs."

"You do realize that was just a joke between the team?"

"Oh no, it's very real."

Clooney ran in, nuzzling into Derek's leg.

He smiled, rubbing behind his ears. "Hey, buddy. Miss me?" He looked up at Spencer. "I'm going to take him for a walk, help him drain his energy a little bit, then I'm going to introduce them. You going to be okay alone with her for a few minutes?"

Spencer nodded. "No problem."

Morgan reached over, grabbing Clooney's leash and clipping it on. He opened the door, walking out and closing it behind him.

* * *

Spencer looked down at Parker. "Your Papa's got quite the apartment, doesn't he?" He unbuckled her, wrapped her in a blanket, and picked her up, resting her against his chest. "Nobody wants to be cooped up too long. Especially a little princess like you."

He kissed her forehead, walking around the apartment and humming softly. He peeked through a bag from the bookstore and saw some parenting books. Smiling to himself, he walked to the kitchen, getting himself a glass of water.

"Clooney is practically your Papa's first born child. I hope the two of you can get along, because I know how much he loves him. Almost as much as I love you."

She yawned, curling up against his chest. He smiled. "I hope you two can be good friends." He sat on the couch, putting his feet up.

* * *

While he was walking Clooney, Morgan's phone rang. He sighed, taking it out of his pocket, expecting it to be Spencer panicking. Once he saw it was Garcia, he answered it.

"Well, hello there, Baby Girl. Long time no speak."

"Baby Girl? So I haven't lost my title?"

"Not quite yet. It's still all yours."

"I'll have no problem eventually sharing it with that adorable little baby."

"I thought so."

"So, I hear you two are back at your apartment. Be careful with him, Derek, he's got quite the healing ahead of him before you can go there."

"You're hilarious. He's just back at my place with her while I'm walking Clooney. Then we're introducing them, I'm grabbing some of my things, and we're heading back to his place."

"Why don't you just have him move into your place? I mean, come on, it's so much bigger. Definitely made to fit a family better than his walk-in closet."

"I only just found out 6 days ago I have a daughter. I'm not rushing into anything like that anytime soon."

"But Derek-"

"I'm lucky he's letting me do as much as he is with how much he puts his guard up. I'm not going to push it."

"Fine, but when you two are in a better place, are you going to bring it up? I will not have my niece raised in a closet when she could be in a place that's a mansion in comparison."

He sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Are you going to let me know how the introductions go?"

"I'll give you a call later tonight, after she goes to bed."

"Sounds like a plan. Good luck."

"Thanks, I'll need it."

"Oh, hush, you don't need anything."

He smiled. "Bye, Baby Girl."

She shook her head, hanging up.

* * *

When he made it back to the apartment, he picked Clooney up.

"Behave yourself, buddy. You two need to get along."

Clooney responded by licking his face. Morgan smiled, walking inside.

* * *

"Ready, kid?"

Spencer bit his lip, nodding. "If _anything_ goes wrong…"

"I'll get her away from him before anything happens," he said, setting Clooney down and picking up Parker. "I tested one of her blankets on him while you were still in the hospital. He's used to her scent. We shouldn't have a problem." Morgan sat down on the floor Indian style, holding Parker and resting her in his lap.

He whistled. "Here, Clooney."

Clooney walked over cautiously, sniffing.

"Clooney, this is Parker. You need to protect her now, too."

"Derek, maybe we shouldn't-"

"He's doing fine."

Spencer sighed, watching closely. Clooney sniffed her blanket, then rested his head in Morgan's lap, looking up at him. Morgan smiled, patting him. "Good job, buddy. You can breathe now, Pretty Boy."

Spencer smiled, exhaling. "So they get along?"

"Well, he's not snapping, barking, or growling, so I'd definitely say it's a good sign."

"Maybe… maybe when he gets used to her completely, we can bring him back to my place. So you don't have to rely on your neighbor to take care of him all the time."

"Can you have pets in your apartment?"

"Yeah, I've just never had one before."

"You've _never_ had a pet?"

He shook his head. "I mean, back in Vegas, my neighbors had pets and I sometimes saw them. But aside from that? Nothing."

"Then I guess there's a first time for everything."

* * *

When they got out to the car and set Parker in her seat, Spencer looked at Morgan.

"Derek, why don't you go inside, grab Clooney and his things?"

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"He's basically your kid, and it's not fair to him to be locked up in your apartment alone because of me."

"Because of you?"

"Okay, because of what we did. We can keep them away from each other if need be. I just don't want him all alone and getting aggressive because you're spending your nights at my place with us."

"If that's what you _really_ want, I can run in and go get him right now."

Spencer nodded.

"And if you don't like this arrangement, you can just tell me and I'll bring him back."

"That's fine. I just can't stand the thought of him in there all alone."

Morgan sighed. "You're positive?"

Another nod.

"Why don't you get in the backseat with her so they're not back there together?"

Spencer got out of the car, getting in the backseat and buckling himself in. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "We're bringing home the doggy, princess. You're going to have your first pet!"

* * *

A few minutes later, Derek came outside, Clooney on his leash and a large bag in his hand. After helping the dog into the car, he set the bag on the floor in front of him, then got in himself.

"Ready to go, Pretty Boy?"

Spencer nodded, looking up at him. "Think he'll like the apartment?"

"Only one way to find out."

* * *

Later that night, Spencer got a call from JJ.

"How was the first full day home?"

"Well, she stayed up with her Papa all night, then he made breakfast. I watched her for a few hours while he caught up on some sleep, we went to his apartment so he could grab some clothes, and came back with Clooney."

"A dog, Spence?"

"Yeah… he's Morgan's best friend. How could I not? He missed him."

"How does he get along with Princess Parker?"

"Morgan read up on the subject and introduced them. Clooney was really calm and quiet around her. Right now he's sleeping right to her bassinet in my room. If Derek steps toward her bassinet without Clooney's approval, he growls."

"So he's already protective of his new master? That's pretty impressive. Almost as impressive as Morgan reading up on the subject."

"I heard that, JJ," Morgan said from the bathroom.

"If you wake her, Derek, so help me God, she's yours for the night and you're not sleeping."

"I see the co-parenting is going well."

"It's actually not that bad, to be completely honest. We take our shifts and she's doing fine with both of us."

"Take me off speaker for a minute."

He looked toward the bathroom, then pressed the button, holding the phone to his ear. "What's up?'

"What's going on with the two of you? Anything since that kiss?"

He groaned. "Come on, JJ. You know as well as I do that came out of nowhere and it meant nothing."

"Really?"

"Really. It was nothing. It meant nothing. Come on, put yourself in his shoes. Someone just told you _last_ week that you're a father and put a baby in front of you. What's your priority, raising that baby, or being in a relationship with the father?"

"In my honest opinion? I'd be worrying about both. I'd be concerned about raising her, but also establishing a relationship with the other parent so my baby would be growing up in a healthy environment."

He sighed. "Well, he isn't. His attention is 100% on Parker. And I'm fine with that."

"But Spence-"

"But nothing, JJ. It was nothing. It meant nothing. It's going to continue to mean nothing until one day we sit down and try to figure out what the hell is going on here. I'm in no rush for that, because all I want to focus on is her."

"I understand that, but did you ever think that 'nothing' for you was a 'something' for him?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. It was nothing. It lasted what, a minute? I highly doubt that's something to hold onto."

"Like I said, maybe for you."

"Can we talk about something else? Please?"

She sighed. "How are you? Are you sleeping and eating okay?"

"I'm still getting my three meals and averaging about seven hours sleep throughout the day thanks to Derek. Though once he goes back to work, who knows how much sleep I'll be getting."

"Then be thankful you have him while you do. I think it's funny though. Even when you don't want to talk about him, you're talking about him."

"Very funny, Jayje."

"I'm just saying."

"Is Garcia with you?"

"On this case, yes. She's acting as media liaison while I'm in the field with Seaver."

"Are you turning into a badass on me?"

She smiled. "I just might be."

"How's the case going?"

"Nice try, Spence. Get some sleep, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

He groaned. "Fine."

"When's Morgan's mom coming for a visit?"

"In a few days."

"Good luck. I'm sure she'll love you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Only two more chapters left after this one. Sad to see this story go! Like I said, there's going to be a short hiatus (probably very short knowing how impatient I am), and then I'm writing more Criminal Minds fics, including the sequel to this one. Thanks everyone! Coming up in the next chapter? A visit from Grandma!


	56. Visitor

The next few days went well, and before Spencer knew it, it was the day Morgan's mother was coming to visit. After breakfast, he paced around the apartment nervously.

"What if she doesn't like me?"

"She's already met you, Pretty Boy. You know she likes you."

"Well, what if she changes her mind and doesn't like me because I turned her son bisexual?"

Morgan bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Turned her son bisexual?"

"I don't know! You were so interested in women maybe she thinks it's my fault you like men too."

He shook his head. "Definitely not the case, but do feel free to go on."

"Or what if she says I'm parenting wrong, that I'm doing something with Parker wrong and that I'm a failure as a parent?"

"So long as Parker is alive and well, she's not going to care how you're raising her. Not to mention my mom doesn't have it in her to call somebody a failure."

"What if she's mad because I don't really have a place for her to sleep? Though I could offer her my bedroom, take the recliner in the living room and you'll be on the couch. But then again she might want the recliner or the couch, depending on how her back is feeling after the flight."

Morgan rolled his eyes, walking over and holding him. "Relax."

He groaned. "Well, what if-"

"She's going to love you. She's going to love Parker. And everything is going to be fine. That's all there is to it."

Once Spencer calmed down, Derek let go. "Go take a nap. I'll wake you up when she gets here."

"Don't you have to pick her up?"

"She's getting a cab from the airport, it's what she prefers so she feels like she's not inconveniencing us by forcing us to get everything ready to take Parker out."

"But-"

"Go take a nap," he repeated sternly.

He sighed, checking the clock. "Parker's due for a feeding in 20 minutes."

"And I'll take care of it."

"Thank you," Spencer said quickly, before walking to his room and laying back on the bed.

Morgan looked in to see Clooney fast asleep beside Parker's bassinet. He smiled to himself, sitting on the couch.

* * *

A while later, he heard a knock on the door. He walked over, checking the peephole and opening it. His mother walked in, set her bags down, and hugged him.

"It's good to see you, Derek."

He smiled, hugging her back. "Great to see you too, momma."

"Where's Spencer?"

"I had him take a nap because he was stressing. He wanted me to go wake him when you got here. Be right back… have a seat."

He walked to Spencer's room, walking in and sitting beside him.

"Pretty Boy, wake up."

Spencer sighed, opening his eyes slightly. "Is your mom here?"

"Yeah, if you need to sleep longer, I'm sure she'll understand."

He shook his head, sitting up slowly. "I'll be fine." He stretched slightly, getting off the bed. Once he'd woken up, he picked up Parker out of her bassinet, wrapping her in a blanket. "Time for you to meet grandma, princess. She's going to love you."

Morgan smiled, holding open the bedroom door as Spencer walked through, Clooney right behind him.

* * *

When he walked into the living room, he took a seat beside Morgan's mother.

"Fran, I think there's somebody who'd like to meet you," he said softly.

She smiled, looking at the bundle in his arms.

"Parker, this is your grandma, Fran. She's your Papa's mom and she's going to love you a lot. Probably almost as much as Daddy and Papa love you," he bit his lip, looking up at her.

"Can I?" she asked, holding out her arms.

Spencer gave a slight smile and nodded, lowering Parker into her arms.

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I was just so scared and I panicked. I didn't even tell the team until I was nearly five months along and I only told Derek after she was born because I thought he had a right to know. If you're at all insulted, I completely understand."

"Calm down, Spencer," she whispered softly, still watching Parker, "you did what you had to do for your family. We all do what we think is best to protect them."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's even more perfect in person. She definitely got your hair, Spencer, and your nose. She's got Derek's ears, and that pout? I'm sorry to say that's a Morgan thing, and it's going to be a big pain in the butt."

He smiled. "Why's that?"

"Oh, when she starts pulling out the 'can I' and the 'please', you'll see that pout quite often."

"Come on, Momma, I wasn't _that_ bad."

She looked up at him and gave him a look.

"Okay, I might've been."

"That's what I thought."

"How long are you in town?" Spencer asked.

"I fly out Sunday morning."

"You're more than welcome to stay here, though the arrangements are limited. You can have my room, I'll take the recliner, and Derek can stay on the couch."

"Don't be silly. I'll be fine out here. You rest up in your bed while you can."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

* * *

After Parker had a feeding , diaper change, and went down for a nap, Spencer decided to go lay down and let Derek spend some time with his mother. He set a cup of coffee on the table, then sat across from her.

"Well, Derek, it seems like you two are definitely doing something right. That's one happy, healthy baby girl in there."

He smiled. "That means a lot coming from you, mom. I guess I learned quite a few things over the years, with you raising the three of us. Now let's just hope in her teen years, karma doesn't bite me for everything I did."

"Oh, she's going to find her own way to be a handful, believe me. You and your sisters were very different, but all found your own special ways of giving me gray hairs."

"We weren't that bad." She gave him a look. "Okay, we might've been that bad."

* * *

"Tell me what's going on. The first I hear from you in months and you tell me you're a father?"

He shrugged. "Nothing else really. Work is the same. Nothing happening in my personal life. Spencer and Parker are the only things going on right now."

"So, you and Spencer."

He groaned. "Momma, please."

"Is there anything going on?"

Morgan shook his head. "A week and a half ago, I didn't even know he and I could _be_ a thing. I only started remembering that night after Garcia jogged my memory. I can't imagine he wants much to do with somebody who can't even remember being with him."

"Well, now that you know, _could_ you be a thing?"

He sighed, sipping his coffee and setting it down. "That isn't a priority right now."

"Not a priority? Derek, he's the father of your child."

"And what we have right now is a lot more than I was expecting. He has a lot of trouble letting people in and around his personal space. The fact that he's letting me stay here on his couch and help with Parker is a huge deal. I don't want to ruin that by being too forward."

"So the feelings are there?"

He looked up at her, lowering his voice. "Is it that obvious?"

"A mother knows these things. Never try to hide anything from your mother. It's worse than trying to hide something from a profiler."

He bit his lip. "I'm just not going to bring up the idea. The last thing I want to do is scare him and have him shut me out. I can't imagine not being a part of her life."

"Amazing isn't it? How fast your priorities change when you're a parent?"

He smiled. "It's definitely a change for the better. I never thought I'd be so happy being tied down to something."

"While we're on the subject," she said, reaching over and hitting him upside the head.

He flinched. "What was that for?"

"For allowing yourself to get so intoxicated that you didn't remember making the most beautiful grandchild on the face of the earth with someone you care about."

He rubbed his head. "I guess I deserved that."

* * *

After an entire day of not getting a moment's peace with her granddaughter, Derek saw that his mother was hatching a plan. While Spencer was relaxing in his room, she sat him down in the living room.

"Derek, you two need to get out of this apartment."

"What do you mean?"

"You two have been in this place since you got home, with the exception of going to yours to grab clothes and Clooney."

"Okay, so when he gets up, I'll get Parker ready and we'll go for a walk or something."

She shook her head. "You two have someone to watch your daughter; you need to take advantage while you have the chance. I want you two to get out of the house and get her off your mind."

"Have you met Spencer? He's never going to go for that."

"It's not doing him any good sitting around the house with her all day. He needs to have his own time too. I don't care if you two go to a movie or dinner or someone's house. Anything to get your mind off of this place for a little while."

"That'll never happen. It's a great offer, but I doubt I can get him away from her that long."

She looked at him. "Do you want him cooped up in here 24/7 with her until he becomes one of those overly paranoid parents?"

"Of course not."

"Then you're going to find a way. You know she's going to be in good hands with me, and either of you can call any time. Though I do have to warn you – too many calls and I may turn the phone on vibrate so you don't wake her up."

He sighed. "You've got to help me convince him. He's not going to listen to me."

"I'll work my magic."

* * *

When Spencer came out of the bedroom sometime later, he smiled at the sight of Parker in her swing, fast asleep.

"Is she enjoying her time with grandma?" he asked, sitting beside the swing.

He smiled, nodding. "I think she loves her grandma," he then looked over at his mother. "Listen, Pretty Boy, my mom's made an offer for us."

"Oh?"

"She said she'd watch Parker for a few hours so we can get out of the house for a bit and relax."

"…I'm perfectly relaxed where I am."

"That's not what I meant. She wants us to get out of here for a while, clear our heads and come back refreshed. And before you panic, she did say we could call and check on her at any time while we're out, so if you're feeling the least bit worried about her, you can call. But you can know she's in good hands. She raised three kids practically on her own and we turned out okay."

"Well…" Spencer started.

"Come on. I'll call the team, see if any of them want to go out to dinner or something. Then afterward we can go for a walk. Take our time away from the apartment while we have it."

Spencer bit on his lip, looking over at Fran. "You'll let me call anytime?"

"Anytime you want. Though I'll give you the same warning I gave Derek – too many calls and the phone's going on vibrate so you two don't wake her up."

"And you'll let Clooney stay at the foot of her pack and play?"

"I wouldn't dream of moving him."

Spencer looked between them and contemplated it, then finally sighed. "Fine. But I'm leaving her schedule. And the emergency numbers."

Derek smiled. "Fine by me."

"Is any of the team even available? It's Saturday. Who's going to want to do anything with two new parents on a Saturday?"

"Hotch and Rossi are busy, but Prentiss, JJ, and Garcia are more than up for it if you are."

"You already told them we'd go, didn't you?"

"You bet. Go get dressed."

Spencer groaned, pushing himself off the couch and walking to his room.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, I lied - there's two chapters after this one! The sequel's got plenty of ideas floating around so I hope I wrap up this story to your liking and you enjoy it enough to read the follow-up.


	57. Outing

Once he'd gotten ready, he came out of the bedroom with a long list.

"I just put together all the numbers… fire department, police, my number, Derek's number, JJ's number if somehow neither of our phones are working, the number at the restaurant, her doctor, and if need be, her godfather's number who's not going to be with us but you may need to get into touch with anyway." He handed the list to her. "She's due for a feeding in about a half hour, then again at 7. If she's fussy, she likes humming, and she also likes being read to – any fairytale will do."

He looked down in her swing and picked her up, kissing her forehead. "You be really good for grandma, okay? Daddy and Papa will be back later tonight. Don't you worry, we're not leaving forever."

"Are you telling her, or yourself?" Morgan asked, slipping on his shoes.

"Both, actually," Spencer said, rubbing her back. "We'll be back in a few hours. Don't be mad we're leaving. We'll always come back to you."

Morgan smiled, walking over and kissing her head. "Bye, Parker. We'll see you soon."

* * *

Spencer looked over at Mrs. Morgan, slightly teary-eyed. "I'm sorry, this is just _really_ hard. It's a lot harder than I thought. I trust you, I do, and I know she'll be in good hands. Don't be insulted. It's just… the first time."

She walked over, rubbing his back. "It's fine. We all go through it."

He bit his lip, swallowing and kissing her again. "Daddy loves you, Parker." He looked at her one last time before he put her into Fran's arms. "If anything goes wrong, not that I don't trust your parenting skills, but if anything goes wrong-"

"I'll call you immediately, I promise. Now both of you, get out of here."

Morgan put his phone in his pocket, giving a quick wave before leaving the apartment. Spencer put his wallet and phone into his jacket and looked over at Fran. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble. Now go have some fun."

After some hesitation, Spencer finally left the apartment, meeting Morgan in the car.

* * *

The car ride to the restaurant was relatively quiet. Finally, Morgan spoke up.

"You okay?"

Spencer shook his head, wiping his eyes and sighing.

He pulled over, parking. "What's wrong?"

Spencer sniffed, wiping his eyes on his jacket. "It's just really hard to let her go for the first time. I know your mom's taking good care of her, but I can't help but think she needs me and I need her."

Morgan reached his hand over, rubbing his back. "We don't have to do this."

"But we do!" Spencer snapped. "I can't just stay in the house with her all the time, I know that, but that doesn't make this any easier."

"Do you want to call?"

"But it's only been ten minutes."

"That's not what I asked you. Do you want to call?"

He bit his lip, nodding.

"Then go ahead."

He sighed, taking the phone out of his pocket and calling her.

"Hi, Spencer."

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. Is everything okay?"

"Stop apologizing, everything's fine. I'm going to get her up in a few minutes for her feeding and probably give her a bath afterward."

"Just be careful," he winced at himself, "sorry, I know you know what you're doing."

"Don't worry about it. All first time parents go through it. You two try to enjoy yourselves. I'll let you know if anything goes wrong. Don't hesitate to call me if you feel the need to."

"Thank you."

"It's no problem. Go have fun."

He hung up, then looked over at Morgan. "Thank you," he said softly.

Morgan smiled, rubbing his back. "No problem. Ready to go?"

He nodded.

Morgan ran a quick hand through Spencer's hair, then looked him in the eyes. "You sure?"

He nodded again, wiping his eyes. "I'm fine now."

* * *

When they got to the restaurant, Morgan parked and looked over at him.

"Do you need to make another call?"

Spencer thought about it for a moment, and shook his head. "We can do this, right? We can be normal parents who can leave their child with someone and not go crazy."

"We can try like hell," Morgan said, getting out and walking around to help him out.

Spencer raised an eyebrow.

"Unless you want to try to get out of here yourself with a stapled stomach."

He shook his head, taking Derek's hand and pulling himself up.

* * *

Garcia looked over at their car, nudging JJ.

"Do you see that? They've totally DTR'd. There's _something_ going on between them."

"Or Morgan's just being nice because he wants to stay in his good graces and stay around for their daughter?"

"Pessimist."

Prentiss shook her head. "Nice, you two."

"What? They have a baby together. The least they could do is have a spark. But there's not even a flickering light in the distance with these two and it's crazy."

"Knowing Spence? He's in no rush to start a relationship with Morgan. He just wants everything to work out for his daughter, and he's not going to worry about himself until he knows he can fully trust him."

* * *

Spencer was the first to walk over. JJ smiled, rubbing his back.

"Doing okay, Daddy?"

"A lot better than I thought I would," he said honestly. "It's kind of embarrassing, I already had to call once."

"The first time Pen had Henry? I called twice: once before the car even left the driveway. Trust me, you're doing fine."

He nodded, following her inside, Prentiss behind them.

Garcia looked at Morgan. "And how are you holding up?"

"Fine, why?"

"You know you don't _have_ to stay strong for him. If you're hurting too, you can let it out."

He sighed. "Yeah, I do. It's hard to let her go, but I can't imagine how hard it is for him. He had her ten months longer than I did. I need to stay strong and show him that it's okay to let his guard down and let someone else watch her."

"Do you want to call right now? Or send her a text for an update? I won't tell Boy Wonder."

He smiled, shaking his head. "We just called fifteen minutes ago, but I might bank on that later."

"Anything going on between you two yet?"

"Nice try," he stated, before walking inside.

* * *

When they were all situated at a table, Garcia looked over at them. "Pictures?"

Spencer smiled, reaching in his pocket and pulling out pictures. "You bet," he said, reaching across the table and handing them to her.

"How is she?" Emily asked, looking through the pictures.

"She's kind of perfect, actually," Spencer started. "She sleeps regularly, she doesn't cry too much… the only time she's ever been difficult was bath time and that's because she doesn't like her hair getting wet." He looked over at Morgan. "Does your mom know that? Maybe we should call her before she tries giving her a bath."

Morgan put up his hand. "She's going to be fine, Pretty Boy. She raised two daughters."

Spencer sighed, sitting back in his chair.

* * *

JJ picked up one of the pictures. "Does she have mismatched socks on?"

"Yes. One, because infant socks have a habit of getting lost and sucked into a black hole somewhere, and two, because she pulls them off better than her Daddy does."

She looked over at Morgan. "Really?"

"We did a load of laundry yesterday and I swear, all we have now is odd socks."

JJ smiled. "You'll be surprised where you're going to start finding her socks. They'll be everywhere."

* * *

Once they'd gotten their food, Spencer checked his phone.

"Anything?" Morgan asked.

Spencer shook his head. "No calls or texts."

"That's a good sign."

He bit his lip, looking at his phone.

"If you need to call, you can."

He sighed, shaking his head again and putting his phone away.

"Everything okay?" Prentiss asked.

Morgan nodded. "Just making sure there weren't any calls."

"I'm pretty proud of you two," JJ spoke up, "you're doing _really _well for your first time away from her."

"Should I be more worried?" Spencer asked.

Garcia smiled, shaking her head. "No, it means you're doing a good job by trusting someone else and shouldn't second guess yourself. Keep it up."

He sat up, cutting into his food.

"So can I keep some of these?" Garcia asked, holding up the photos.

Spencer nodded. "Those are extras… split them amongst yourselves."

"And that means share, Baby Girl."

JJ and Emily looked over at her.

She sighed. "Fine." She went through the stack, picking out a few pictures, then splitting the pile between the two of them.

* * *

After dinner, Prentiss looked over at them.

"I don't know what you guys are up for, but we're headed to a movie soon. You're more than welcome to join us."

Spencer bit his lip, glancing over at Morgan. "It sounds great, but I don't want to leave her with your mom too long. I don't want her to think we're taking advantage of her or anything."

Morgan put his finger up, taking out his phone and calling his mother.

"Hey, mom… yeah, he's doing really well. Better than I expected."

He rolled his eyes, lowering his voice. "Yes, I'm aware I've texted you every fifteen minutes on the dot. Yes, I'm aware Spencer's only called a few times."

Garcia looked at JJ. "And we were worried about Boy Wonder being paranoid?"

"Listen, some people from work are going out to a movie. No, I'm not asking permission, I know I'm a grown man."

"Yeah, I just wanted to know if you could watch Parker for a couple more hours?"

"Awesome, thank you, momma. We'll see you in a few hours."

* * *

He hung up the phone and looked at Spencer. "Don't give me that look."

"You checked in more than I did?" he said smiling.

"I just wanted to be sure her parenting skills were still sharp."

"I'm pretty sure those don't just disappear. Nice try."

He shrugged. "What, parents can't be a bit paranoid?"

"A bit, yes. Every fifteen minutes _and_ more often than I checked in? Slightly neurotic."

"So," Morgan started, changing the subject, "what are we seeing?"

* * *

On the drive home from the movies, Spencer watched out the window.

"Thank you."

"For what, Pretty Boy?"

"Convincing me to get out of the house. I can't remember the last time I had that much fun."

"It was just dinner and a movie."

"Yeah, but I got to spend time with people I care about and not have to constantly worry about Parker. It felt really good."

"Maybe after my mom leaves, we can find a babysitter, get out more often."

"Don't go crazy, now. Baby steps, remember?"

Morgan shook his head. "I didn't say anything about it being the two of us alone. Sounds like you've got something on your mind."

"Oh? Oh! Oh no, not at all. I just meant with us trusting somebody else with the baby. I mean, your mom's great, but she's leaving, and I don't think there's anyone else around here we'd trust enough to keep an eye on her while we leave for a few hours. I'm not implying that we'd be going out together anytime soon. Like, just the two of us." He exhaled. "Why, is that something _you're_ thinking about?"

Morgan froze for a second, then parked the car. "Come on, let's get inside." He quickly got out of the car, closing the door and taking a deep breath, groaning.

Spencer sat still for a moment, thinking to himself. It's not that the thought of him and Morgan together hadn't crossed his mind, because it had: several times a day. It's the fact that they've barely established a relationship as parents to their daughter. The last thing he wanted to do for the two of them was rush into a relationship, ruin what they had, and hurt their daughter in the process.

Morgan knocked on his window, bringing him back to reality. "Are you coming?"

He looked up at him, then nodded, grabbing a bag of clothes Garcia had given them and getting out of the car, walking inside.

* * *

"How was the first trip out?" Fran asked once they were both inside.

Spencer walked over to the pack and play, looking down at Parker. "Fine. It was good to finally see everybody again and get a few hours away. Did Derek really text you every fifteen minutes at dinner?"

"I can show you my phone to prove it."

Spencer smiled, looking over at Morgan. "And you worried about me?"

"Very funny. Was she any trouble?"

"Barely a noise out of her. She wasn't too happy with bath time, but what child is? She's been down for a couple hours, and she'll be due for a feeding soon."

"I've got it," Spencer said quickly, grabbing the formula and walking to the kitchen.

* * *

Fran looked at her son. "So you two had a good time?"

He nodded. "Thank you for the chance to get out. We really appreciated it."

"How'd it go?"

"Dinner and a movie," he said with a shrug, "spent some time with the team outside of work."

"That's not what I meant."

He sighed, looking out at the kitchen to be sure Spencer was distracted. "There was a sort of… moment. On the way there. And another on the way home. But nothing's going to happen."

"What do you mean, a _moment_?"

"I don't know. Where it just sort of felt like something could've developed from this. But he shut it down. It's not a big deal. Our priority right now isn't a relationship. It's her."

"Derek, I see the way you look at each other. You can't tell me there's nothing."

"I'm not saying there's nothing. I'm just saying that I don't see a relationship happening anytime soon because it's not what's important."

She sighed. "Just promise me you won't keep whatever it is hidden for too long. It doesn't help to keep things bottled up."

"I promise."

* * *

He looked down to see Parker staring up at him. He smiled, lifting her out of the pack and play.

"Did you miss me? I bet you did."

Spencer walked in, bottle in hand. "You don't mind if I take this one, do you?"

Morgan shook his head, taking the bottle and resting Parker in his arms, then handing the bottle back. "Be my guest."

Spencer sat on the couch, feeding her and humming. "Daddy really missed you tonight. But he's really glad you had fun with your grandma. One day when you're older? I'll take you to meet your Nana Reid. She's going to absolutely love you. Who can resist a baby as cute as you?"

Morgan smiled, watching them. "Nobody I know, that's for sure."

"What time do you leave tomorrow?" Spencer asked, looking over at Fran.

"Early in the morning."

"Are you sure we'll be able to handle this without your help?"

"I'm not sure. I'm positive."

* * *

**Author's Note:** One chapter to go!


	58. True Conundrum

After that night, Spencer and Morgan continued to dodge the subject of the two of them anytime it was brought up by somebody. In fact, the only thing they communicated about was Parker: when to feed her, change her, take her for a walk, give her a bath, etc. The night before Morgan was set to go back to work, he took Parker out for a drive, leaving Spencer along in the house.

* * *

To say Spencer wasn't handling the prospect of Morgan going back to work and leaving him alone with Parker for the first time well was a complete understatement. He didn't let his emotions show around Morgan, considering he was a profiler and could very easily read him like a book, but inside he was definitely panicking and worried about being on his own with her. He did find it slightly ironic, especially because before he'd even told Morgan, he was going to do it on his own anyway.

* * *

He felt himself start to panic and reached for his phone, calling JJ.

"Hey, Spence."

He exhaled, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Hey, Jayje."

"Something wrong?"

"Nothing really. It's just – nothing. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"It's not nothing, and you're not bothering me. What's wrong?

He sighed. "I'm just really worried. Morgan's going back to work tomorrow, and after that I'm going to be alone in the house with Parker for six weeks until I can go back to work, if I even can because we haven't even started considering what we're going to do about it. I really don't know what I'm going to do alone and I'm really scared something's going to happen to him on the job and I'll really be alone with her."

"First and foremost, breathe. Where's Morgan now?"

He took a deep breath, wiping his eyes. "He's out for a drive with Parker."

"You haven't told him any of this, have you?"

"What, and guilt him for going back to work? He's already done more than I ever expected. I can't make him feel bad because he's working. If we had normal jobs I'd be fine, but no. We have to be in a field where we have people stabbing and murdering and killing people."

She smiled, shaking her head. "Do you really think any of us are going to let something happen? Especially to Morgan? We're not going to let you be left alone with her."

"You can't predict what an unsub is going to do."

"No, we can't. But we can take care of our team the best we can."

He chewed on his lip, willing himself not to get upset.

"Spence?"

"Yeah, I'm still here."

"You can't let this get to you."

"Not let it get to me? I'm _terrified_. I'm scared to be alone with my daughter. What does that say about me?"

"That you're normal? All new parents get the feeling they can't do it alone when their spouse – well, in your case, other parent – goes back to work. It happens."

"What did you do?"

"Honestly? I called Pen crying my eyes out that I was going to be a failure and Will was making a mistake taking a job up here for the two of us."

"You're not just saying that?"

"Wish I was. You're going to be fine, Spence. Even if I'm on a case somewhere, I'll still be here for you to talk to. You'll have Garcia to call and come check on you. I'm positive Morgan's going to call to check in on the two of you. Hell, I'm sure Will is going to check on you too. Instinct is going to kick in and you'll be taking care of her on your own no problem."

He sighed. "Morgan has it so easy. He gets to go back to work and not have to worry."

"Not have to worry? Oh, I will bet you ANYTHING Morgan's going to hate the fact that he's away from her."

"…You'll tell me if he is, right?"

She smiled. "If that's what you need to get you through the day."

"Listen, thank you for this. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. Will you call me tomorrow, let me know how his first day back goes? Inform me if he's panicking half as bad as I am right now?"

"You bet. And it's no problem, Spence. Like I said, I'm here for you anytime."

He smiled slightly. "Thanks, Jayje. Talk to you soon."

He hung up the phone, sighing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Morgan was out with Parker. He picked up her carseat and set her in the carriage, pushing her around the park. He looked in to see her fixated on him. He sat on a park bench, wrapping her in a blanket and lifting her out of the carriage.

"Hey, pretty girl. Tomorrow, Papa's going back to work so you're not going to see him as much as you do now. But I promise you, I still love you a whole lot, and I'll come back to you. I need you to do something for me. I need you to be really strong for Daddy, and be really good for him. With Papa working, he needs you to do your best with Daddy, because he's going to be working really hard to take care of you on his own. Can you do that?"

Her only response was a stretch, but he took that as a good sign. He kissed her forehead, resisting the tear that threatened to fall. "I love you, baby girl."

* * *

When Morgan got back from their trip, Spencer looked up from the couch.

"She asleep?"

Morgan nodded. "Fell asleep on the ride back from the park." He set the carrier down on the floor, along with her diaper bag. "I had three women stop me at the park to tell me how adorable she is and that I did a good job. When I said it was all the work of her Daddy and not Papa? They didn't seem so attracted anymore."

Spencer shook his head. "Even when you're not trying to attract women, you attract women. Bravo." He set his book down, sighing. "Are you ready to go back to work tomorrow?"

"As I'll ever be, I guess. It's hard to imagine that a few weeks ago I didn't really have any priorities aside from Clooney, but now I can't imagine not having her in my life."

"Funny how parenting just sort of takes over your life without you noticing. Everything is now about her and molding everything around what works for her."

Morgan shrugged. "Can't say I regret it one bit."

* * *

Spencer smiled, looking down at the carrier. Unfortunately, he was unable to keep himself from crying again.

"What's wrong, Pretty Boy?" Morgan asked, walking over and sitting beside him.

He shook his head, rushing to wipe his eyes and put on his best poker face. "Nothing."

"If it's nothing then why are you crying?"

"I'm just not ready to see you go, that's all. I'm really worried that I'm not going to be able to handle it alone."

"You're more than capable of taking care of her on your own. You were planning on it before you told me, remember?"

He nodded, sniffing. "Yeah, but you won't always be here."

"I'm still going to be here for the two of you. I'll just be gone sometimes."

"Yeah, and what if an unsub gets you or something happens on the job? How do I explain that to her?"

"You think I haven't thought about it myself? I can't imagine leaving the two of you. I'm not going to let something happen to me, because you two need me around."

He wiped his eyes again. "It's just really hard to think about it only being the two of us. I'm worried she's going to realize you're gone and panic. What if, when she realizes you're gone, she won't stop crying? Or what if while you're gone, something happens to her because I wasn't paying attention for a single second?"

"I know you won't let anything happen to her. You love her too much to take your eyes off of her, even for a second. She's your world, and I know you're never going to let her get hurt as long as you're watching her."

"But what if something does happen? Or someone sees me doing something wrong and says I'm an unfit parent and they take her away? Or what if-"

Morgan shook his head – he'd had enough of Spencer questioning his parenting skills, because he knew they were excellent. He leaned over, pushed the hair out of his face, and without hesitation, kissed him.

* * *

It took a minute for what was happening to finally register in Spencer's mind. When it did hit him, he pulled back and looked at Morgan.

"Derek…"

"That time in the hospital, it wasn't hormones, was it?"

"Wha-"

"When we were taking care of Parker, and you kissed me. You said it was just your hormones. Was it?"

Spencer thought, his mind going all over the place. He brought himself back to that day, and remembered everything that happened, including the motive and the emotions. He wasn't sure how to answer the question, and definitely wasn't sure in what direction Morgan wanted this conversation to go.

"I-It's only been two weeks, Derek."

Morgan looked at him. "Well?"

Spencer bit his lip, guiltily shaking his head. "No, it wasn't. It was all me."

"And you didn't pull away just now. Nor did you try."

He shook his head again.

"Do you even know how long I've been waiting to do that?"

"Two and a half weeks?" he guessed.

Morgan shook his head. "Not even close."

"When I was pregnant, and you were taking care of me… that wasn't just pity or being a good friend, was it?"

Another headshake.

Spencer ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. He looked over at Morgan, directly into his eyes.

"Derek, what are we?"

Morgan shrugged, looking back at him. "Why don't you tell me, Spencer?"

At the use of his first name, Spencer froze like a deer in the headlights. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say, or what he wanted out of Morgan, besides a father for his daughter. This truly was his hardest conundrum to date.

* * *

**Author's Note:** There you have it! I'm working up ideas right now for the sequel, and it won't be long before they come out and I can share with you all. Don't hate me too much for leaving you hanging!


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